Patient Information

Your Glaucoma Surgery Recovery Guide

Valid for Trabeculectomy, NPDS, Drainage Valves & MIGS

This is general educational information. Instructions vary substantially between procedures and patients; the discharge plan issued by your surgical team takes precedence.

General guidance, with a procedure-specific plan

Trabeculectomy, non-penetrating deep sclerectomy (NPDS), drainage devices and MIGS do not share an identical recovery. This page explains common principles only; positioning, restrictions, drops and medication changes must follow your individual discharge instructions.

PositioningRestrictionsMedicationSymptoms

How to Sleep & Position Yourself

Critical for the first two weeks

1

Head elevated 25–35°

Use extra pillows or place a folded blanket under the head of your mattress. This helps maintain adequate eye pressure and supports healing of the filtration pathway.

2

Do not sleep on the operated side

Lying on the operated eye increases local pressure and can compress the surgical site. Sleep on your back or on the opposite side.

3

Keep your head up during the day

Avoid bending down so that your head is lower than your heart — this raises eye pressure. If you need to pick something up from the floor, bend at the knees.

Activity Restrictions

Do NOT do

  • ✕Lift more than 10 kg (grocery bags, children, suitcases)
  • ✕Bend your head below your heart
  • ✕Strain, hold your breath, or make sudden coughing / sneezing efforts
  • ✕Rub, press, or touch the operated eye
  • ✕Swim or dive for at least 4 weeks
  • ✕Drive until cleared by your surgeon

You CAN do

  • ✓Watch TV and use screens comfortably
  • ✓Read at normal distance
  • ✓Walk at a gentle pace
  • ✓Shower (keeping water away from the eye)
  • ✓Cook (avoiding steam near your face)

Anticoagulants and antiplatelets — follow your individual plan

Do not stop, restart or replace anticoagulants or antiplatelets (including warfarin/Sintrom, aspirin, heparin or clopidogrel) on your own. Timing depends on bleeding risk, thromboembolic risk, the procedure and the anaesthetic. Follow only the express, coordinated instructions from the surgical team and the clinician who prescribed the treatment.

Your Medication Schedule

Checklist: Medication Schedule

Postoperative eye drops

FrequencyAs written on your discharge plan
DurationAs prescribed
Note: Products, frequency and duration differ between techniques. Do not copy another patient’s schedule.

Anti-inflammatory treatment

FrequencyAs prescribed
DurationIndividual taper
Note: Do not shorten, extend or taper treatment without instructions.

Previous glaucoma drops

FrequencyConfirm for each eye
DurationAccording to the surgical team
Note: The operated and non-operated eye may have different instructions. Do not make changes on your own.

Symptom Guide

What is normal and when you must seek urgent care.

Normal — no action needed

  • Mild foreign body sensation or grit
  • Tearing
  • Blurry vision that improves gradually
  • Mild redness at the surgical site
  • Low pressure (hypotony) — expected after some procedures

Keep an eye on it

  • Redness spreading beyond the surgical site
  • Significant fluctuation in vision
  • Increase in floaters or new shadows
  • Mild-to-moderate pain not relieved by paracetamol

Urgent — seek medical attention

  • Sudden, severe eye pain (possible pressure spike)
  • Sudden dramatic loss of vision
  • Dark shadow or curtain appearing and spreading
  • Severe redness with thick discharge

What Is Normal After Surgery

Blurry vision

Very common in the first days and weeks. It improves gradually as the eye heals and pressure stabilises.

Low pressure (hypotony)

Pressure may be lower than before surgery, particularly after filtering procedures. Excessively low pressure can require review, so attend follow-up and contact the team if vision or discomfort worsens.

Floaters or shadows

A mild increase in floaters or a blurry area can occur temporarily. If a sudden dark shadow appears and spreads, contact us immediately.

Mild foreign-body sensation

Slight grittiness or tearing in the first days is normal. Do NOT rub the eye.

Hygiene & Eye Care

  • Do not rub, press, or touch the operated eye under any circumstances.
  • Do not use wet wipes near the eye in the first days — they may contain preservatives that irritate the surgical site.
  • When instilling drops, any overflow should be gently dabbed off the cheek — never from the eye itself.
  • Avoid soaps, shampoos, or tap water entering the eye when washing your face or hair.
  • Use the protective eye shield every night while sleeping for at least two weeks.
  • Avoid eye makeup for at least four weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Anaesthesia is used to limit pain, but sensations vary with the technique and the person. You may notice pressure or discomfort; tell the team during the procedure. Afterwards, follow the analgesia plan you have been given and seek advice for marked or increasing pain.

Glaucoma procedures are performed under a microscope with your head secured in place. Involuntary eye movements are minimal with the anaesthetic in effect. Your surgeon is trained to manage small movements safely.

For desk-based or light work: usually 5–7 days, once vision has stabilised enough. For physical or demanding jobs: at least 2–4 weeks, after a postoperative review with your surgeon. Do not make any plans to return to work before your first postoperative check-up.

Blurry vision after glaucoma surgery has several normal causes: the drops used during surgery, mild swelling, a change in your eye's pressure balance, and the natural healing of tissue. In most cases it improves steadily over days to weeks.

Pressure can be lower after filtering surgery, but the significance depends on the eye and associated findings. It should be assessed at the planned reviews. Contact the surgical team promptly if vision worsens, pain increases or you are concerned.

Do not decide this from a general webpage. Restarting, continuing or modifying these medicines requires an express plan coordinated between the surgical team and the clinician who prescribed them, balancing bleeding and thromboembolic risks.

Not on the side of the operated eye. Sleep on your back or on the opposite side, with your head elevated 25–35° above your chest. This positioning is critical during the first two weeks of recovery.
Editorial transparency

Authorship, medical review and sources

Author and medical reviewer
Dr. Francisco Javier Abellán Martínez
Ophthalmologist · Medical registration no. 282880215
The same specialist currently authors and medically reviews the content; this is not presented as an independent external review.
Last medically reviewed
Sources consulted (5)

General educational content. It does not replace an individual assessment, diagnosis or personalised instructions from your healthcare team.

How these guides are written and reviewed

Need to review the instructions?

Use this page as educational support during recovery. For urgent symptoms or scheduled follow-up, use the channel indicated by your surgical centre. For general questions or a voluntary private assessment, you can contact me.

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