Facebook Pixel
EmpowHER Guest
Q: 

How soon can we fly after retinal detachment repaired with air bubble?

By Anonymous October 20, 2017 - 5:19pm
 
Rate This

My son insisted to fly from California to Maryland on Christmas. But he just had retinal detachment repaired on 10/10/2017 with air bubble. How safe is it to fly long distance?

Add a Comment1 Comments

Guide

Hello. Thank you for your message.

If you’ve had your retina repaired, you should only fly when your doctor says it’s safe. To repair a detached or torn retina, the ophthalmologist often has to inject a gas bubble to hold the retina in place while it heals. A gas bubble in the eye can expand dangerously if the patient flies, goes scuba diving or undergoes any other major air pressure change. If the gas expands inside the eye, it can cause serious damage and blindness. You should stay at about the altitude of your surgery until your doctor has confirmed that the gas bubble is gone. Unlike a gas bubble, there are generally no restrictions for flying with a silicone oil bubble. Again, this should be discussed with your doctor.

Helena

October 20, 2017 - 5:44pm
Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.
By submitting this form, you agree to EmpowHER's terms of service and privacy policy
Add a Comment

All user-generated information on this site is the opinion of its author only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. Members and guests are responsible for their own posts and the potential consequences of those posts detailed in our Terms of Service.

Detached Retina

Get Email Updates

Related Topics

Detached Retina Guide

HERWriter Guide

Have a question? We're here to help. Ask the Community.

ASK

Health Newsletter

Receive the latest and greatest in women's health and wellness from EmpowHER - for free!