Virectomy for large macular hole

Posted , 2 users are following.

Hi. I am having surgery on May 15, followed by 2 or 3 weeks with my face down. I am terrified because I have emphysema and I am 78 year old. Could some one tell me if reading is allowed during the "face-down" period?

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • Posted

    No need to worry. You can buy or rent a face-down support package that will allow ou to breathe in bed with your face down on a pillow and to read in a sitting poition. Just ask your doctor or an internet search engine. I wish you success with the operation.
  • Posted

    Thank you, Edward 56663. Unfortunately, with emphysema I cannot breath face down, and my doctor does not want me to read for 2 weeks ...
  • Posted

    I'm sorry that your illness prevents you from breathing in a face-down position, even with special equipment that would keep your nose and mouth free. Although I now don't understand why you want to read face down when you can't breathe face down, I will just say that I covered my affected eye (which was filled with gas and more or less useless) with a patch and used my other eye, and this didn't affect the healing process. I also listened to audio books, which was easier.

    Hoping this helps you, in some small way.

  • Posted

    Thanks. I was not clear enough! Breathing face down is a problem at night. Reading face down is a request for the day time. A nurse told me that I should not read with my good eye because the operated eye will follow. Is that a fact?

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