There are some eye conditions that can interfere with your air travel plans. Generally, if you’ve had any kind of eye surgery recently, then you need to talk to your eye doctor about your travel plans.
Glaucoma surgeries like a laser trabeculoplasty, shunt implantation or peripheral iridotomy don’t usually interfere with air travel. The pressure change from flying shouldn’t be a concern, and you should be able to fly the day after your surgery. However, you should still talk to your doctor to get approval for your specific case, and you need to follow up as needed after your glaucoma surgery.
If you’ve recently had your retina repaired, you should only fly when your doctor says that it’s safe for you to do so. During a retina repair surgery, the ophthalmologist often has to inject a gas bubble. This gas bubble holds the retina in place while it heals. Unfortunately, a gas bubble in the eye can expand dangerously if the patient undergoes a major air pressure change while flying.
Air travel will not make retinal holes or wrinkles worse; however, retinal holes can sometimes turn into a retinal detachment. This is an eye emergency so you need to talk to your eye doctor about any long travel plans. You don’t want to get caught in an eye emergency when you are far away from home. Make sure to follow your doctor’s recommendations to minimize the risk of this happening.
Northern Virginia Doctors of Optometry offers a wide range of high-quality eyeglasses and contact lenses to our patients. We are a locally owned practice that’s known for our professional and personalized eye care. We offer a wide range of specialities so that we can meet all of the needs of our customers. We serve many areas, including Crystal City, VA. Call us at (703) 660-9494 in Alexandria, (703) 413-1400 in Crystal City, (703) 522-7676 in Clarendon, (703) 573-1200 in Falls Church or (703) 467-9080 in Reston.