About Your Retinal Surgery
Bay Area Retina Associates is a group of dedicated retinal surgeons with expertise spanning the full range of retinal surgical procedures. We operate in multiple facilities around the East Bay, all with the latest equipment and experienced staff assisting our surgeons. The vast majority of our surgeries are outpatient procedures under sedation with local anesthesia or in some cases general anesthesia. Our surgery coordinator and the rest of our team stand ready to assist you and answer any questions you may have before and after your surgery.
Medical clearance
Unless your surgery is a same-day emergency, we will ask you to see your primary care provider (PCP) to obtain medical clearance for anesthesia. In some cases, your PCP may defer to another specialist involved in your care (a cardiologist, for example) regarding clearance. Medical clearance is important because it helps ensure your safety while you undergo retinal surgery.
Remaining “NPO” before surgery
Please do not eat or drink anything the day of your surgery, other than a small sip of water with any medications you take by mouth. If you eat or drink within 8 hours of surgery, the anesthesiologist may cancel or delay your surgery.
Medications
In general, you should take your usual medications the morning before your surgery, with some exceptions. If you are diabetic, please consult your PCP or endocrinologist about which medications to take that morning and which medications to avoid, since taking your regular diabetes medications without eating could cause your blood sugar to drop.
If you take aspirin or blood thinners (Plavix, Eliquis, etc) please talk with your BARA retinal surgeon about whether stopping these medications would be beneficial, and please talk with your PCP about whether you can safely stop these medications prior to surgery.
Other preparations
In some cases, prolonged face down positioning is recommended after surgery. Face-down equipment is available to rent and our surgery coordinator can provide you with more information. When face-down positioning is needed only for a few days, rental equipment is often not necessary.
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The day of the surgery
You will not be allowed to drive yourself home after surgery, even if you remain
awake during surgery. Make sure to arrange a ride for the day of surgery. Remember to arrive at the hospital or surgery center at the time given by the surgery coordinator, usually at least one and a half hours before the scheduled surgery time.
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After surgery
Immediately after surgery, your eye will be covered with a patch and shield. Please leave the patch and shield in place until our staff members can remove it at your post-operative visit the day after surgery in the office. You wi ll not need to use any eye drops after surgery until the day 1 post-operative visit. Please remember to bring any eye drops with you to the day 1 visit, including any drops given to you at the hospital or surgery center or drops that you were instructed to pick up at a pharmacy. Remember to arrange a ride for your day 1 visit as well.
If you have pain after surgery, take extra strength Tylenol as needed. Narcotics are generally not required after retinal surgery. If you have pain control problems, please let your BARA surgeon know.
Positioning
Specific positioning of the head or eyes may be required after s urgery. Your BARA surgeon will provide instructions on any positioning that is needed. In general, you should avoid laying flat on your back if you have a gas or oil b ubble in your eye.
Caring for the eye
Avoid exposure of the surgery eye to water from the sink or shower for 7 days after surgery, since this water is not sterile and could introduce an infection. Keep the eye physically protected at all times for 7 days after surgery. This means taping a hard shield over the surgery eye at night. During the day you may tape the hard shield over the eye or you may wear sunglasses or any other pair of glasses.
Eye drops
Please remember to bring your prescribed eye drops to all of your post-operative appointments so that your BARA doctor can provide clear instructions and avoid confusion. If you run out of any post-operative drops, please let your BARA doctor know. Some drops cannot be stopped suddenly, and our office can provide refills.
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For surgeries in the operating room (such as scleral buckle or vitrectomy surgery), learn more here.
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Surgery centers
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Click on your surgery location below for a printable handout with the address and map