Trabeculectomy is a relatively common surgery for glaucoma. It reduces high eye pressure, which, if not treated, can cause irreversible vision loss. So what happens after this outpatient surgery is done? Patients can follow several steps to ensure a healthy recovery.*

What to Expect After Surgery

Your eye might be red and irritated or feel like a piece of sand or grit in it. You may also show some signs of swelling and water. Though you may want to rub your eyes, it’s extremely important that you avoid doing so for seamless recovery. You will wear a dressing over your eye for the first night, followed by an eye shield at bedtime for at least a month.

Most people will return to work one to two weeks after surgery, depending on the physical and visual demands of their vocation, but the healing eye may be slightly blurry for up to twelve weeks. Afterward, your vision will return to the way it was before the surgery; however, you may have to adjust your contacts or glasses. Follow-up doctor appointments are critical during this time to make sure the fluid is draining as expected. Your doctor may cut or remove the stitches (painless and very quick) to further promote flow of fluid.

Additionally, during these appointments, medication may be prescribed for pain, depending on your experience. You may also get eye drops and/or medicines that help prevent scarring of the bleb of the eye, which is the area on which the doctor performed surgery to ensure proper fluid drainage.

Aside from attending regular appointments, wearing an eye shield nightly, and taking medicines when prescribed, there are other recommendations that you may want to consider.

What You Can Do At Home

Because you have undergone surgery, it’s important that you avoid performing strenuous activities for the first few weeks until your doctor gives you the okay. Check with your doctor if it’s okay to drive, but take advantage of this time to rest and recover and enjoy reading or watching TV. 

If your vision is adequate, you may walk, but don’t jog or run. Walk while wearing eyeglasses rather than contact lenses, which are not advised for at least eight weeks after surgery. You should also avoid mascara for up to two weeks and showering or washing your hair the day after surgery to prevent further irritation.

Other recommendations:

• Ask your doctor what you can and can’t do.  
• Open communication to ensure a smooth recovery.
• Always wash your hands before putting in eye drops. Tilt your head back and use your finger to pull down the lower eyelid, where you’ll drop medicine inside the lower lid. Close your eyes for at least 30 to 60 seconds so the medicine can move around. Avoid rubbing or putting pressure on your eye for at least one week.
• Delay getting your hair colored or permed for up to 10 days after surgery.
• Avoid excessive bending over or participating in any strenuous activities, such as biking, jogging, weight lifting, or aerobic exercise, for two weeks or until your doctor says it is okay.
• Avoid swimming for at least a month.
• Avoid hot tubs, gardening, and dusting for one to two weeks.
• Wear sunglasses if you feel sensitive to light.
• If you take blood thinners or aspirin, check with your doctor when it’s safe to resume taking the pills.
• Continue taking medicine as your doctor has prescribed. Some medicines can cause constipation, so your doctor may prescribe laxatives in order to avoid straining which can increase eye pressure.

When to Ask for Help

Although extremely unlikely, you may experience loss of consciousness, chest pain, shortness of breath, and sudden loss of vision. If you experience these symptoms, you should call 911. Additionally, you will want to contact your doctor or on-call nurse, or get immediate medical care if they’re not available if you notice the following:

• Pus or thick discharge coming from the eye
• New redness or swelling around the eye
• New or worse eye pain
• New vision loss
• You do not get better as expected in the aforementioned timeframe

Remember that this is a general guide for recovery from trabeculectomy, but everyone recovers at their own pace and may have different experiences. Do not hesitate to contact your doctor if you have any concerns after your surgery.

This article was reviewed and edited for accuracy by Alan Robin, M.D., a Responsum Health Advisory Council member, ophthalmologist, glaucoma treatment specialist, and leader in the clinical management and scientific study of the disease.

*Trabeculectomy: What to Expect at Home. (2020, August 31). Myhealth.Alberta.Ca. https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/aftercareinformation/pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=zy1477