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RETURN TO ACTIVITY
After surgery you may return to light activity as soon as you feel physically able. Walking, eating with friends or family, watching TV, reading, short trips away from home and light housework are all permitted. You may ride in a car or fly in an airplane immediately after surgery. You should not drive a car or pilot an airplane immediately after surgery since your depth perception and field of vision will not be normal. Sexual activity of a conservative nature may be resumed after a week (with eye protection in place).
The first month after surgery, you must avoid:
Lifting objects that weigh more than 5-8 pounds (children, pets heavy packages). You may lift light objects such as shoes, small packages, etc.
Bending from the waist especially when trying to lift something from the floor. You should always bend your knees or kneel to pick things up.
Bathing: Showers may be taken immediately, being careful not to allow the shower stream to strike the eye directly. Going to the beauty salon is fine as long as you use the eye shleld for the first month after surgery to protect against splashes or an inadvertent finger in the eye. Shaving may be done in the normal fashion the day after Surgery.
Athletics: Strenuous athletic activities can usually be resumed 3-4 weeks after surgery. Do not, however, return to any athletic activity without first consulting your doctor.
Return to work: Desk work can usually be resumed within the first week after surgery. Physical labor in most cases can be resumed in 3-4 weeks. However, do not return to any physical labor without first consulting your doctors
In general let common sense be your guide... If you think you probably should not do something, don't do it.
RECOVERY PERIOD
Immediately after surgery the eye may be red and irritated, and the vision poor - sometimes worse than before surgery. This is usually normal. The irritation in the eye will generally improve over the first week. The redness will usually clear in 2-5 weeks.
You will be given eye drops and sometimes pills to help endure success of thy transplantation surgery. It is critical that you use the meditations exactly as ordered! If you have any questions regarding how to use the medications, please contact our office. Likewise, please do not allow any Of your medications to run out between visits. If you find that you are running low on a medication, please call our office or have your pharmacist call us to have the prescription refilled. Immediately after Surgery you will be taking what seems like a large number of medications. As the transplant heals, the number and frequency of medications will decrease.
For the first few months after surgery, you will need to be examined every several weeks to be certain your eye is accepting the transplant and that there are no other post-operative problems. After 3-4 months your doctor may begin removing sutures which have been holding the transplant in place. This painless procedure is done in the office. All patients heal differently so in some patients only a few sutures are removed, while in others all of them are eventually taken out.
It is important to understand that even after successful surgery the corneal transplant requires considerable time to adjust to its new environment. Therefore, your vision may not begin to improve for several months, and sometimes longer (up to a year).
After the transplant has healed and the appropriate number Of Sutures have been removed, spectacles or occasionally contact lenses may be required to achieve your best vision.
WARNING SIGNS
After you have been discharged from the hospital our biggest concern is that your body may recognize the corneal transplant as a foreign tissue and try to reject it. If rejection of the corneal transplant is going to occur, it will usually happen within the first year after surgery. Your body, however, could begin to reject the cornea at any time for the rest of your life. This is not meant to alarm you, but to reinforce the importance of being observant for changes In the eye that should be checked by your doctor.
Four Major Warning Signs to Be Aware Of:
Sensitivity to Light: After surgery your eye may be more sensitive to light than normal. This should gradually improve over the first few Weeks after Surgery. If, however, you notice entreating discomfort when you are in bright light, call your doctor.
Redness of the Eye: Your eye will be red for the first few weeks after surgery. However, lf you notice increasing redness of the eye, especially one or more months after surgery, notify your doctor. You should check for redness of the eye every day by looking in the mirror, or having a family member look at the eye at regular Intervals.
Pain: Irritation, mild aching of tee eye, and occasionally sharp pains are normal during the first week after Surgery. If, however, the discomfort of the eye is increasing, or lf a deep throbbing pain develops, call your doctor.
Change in Vision: The vision is generally bluer immediately after corneal transplant surgery with gradual improvement over the first several months. You should check the vision in the eye when you get home from the hospital. Pick an object that you can see fairly clearly - this may be a large object such is a lamp or a picture. If your vision is better you may be able to see large letters on a calendar or the headline of the newspaper. Check the vision in the eye every day by looking at the same object from the same distance. Small fluctuations in vision are normal from day to day. If you notice be however, a significant change in vision, or that objects look faded or less distinct, call your doctor.
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