Pre-Surgery Checklist

As with anything in life, it's always best to be as prepared as you can be before your Vitrectomy surgery. By doing so you will have more time to focus on the recovery itself!

We have compiled a list of important things to remember and to have ready for when you come home to start your recovery process. If your surgery was assigned last minute as an emergency, we recommend a family member, friend or carer to help you with as much of the following as possible:

  1. Rearrange any furniture as required to make space for incoming rental equipment. You'll be glad you did this before the surgery!
  2. Straws for easy drinking in face down position
  3. Tissues - your eyes and nose might drip during recovery period
  4. FaceWipes for Gentle Face Washing
  5. All grocery shopping done so you do not run out of any essentials during recovery process
  6. Pre-Made frozen ready meals that don't require cooking (if you have no-one at hand to cook)
  7. If you will be cooking during the recovery period, place all frequently used ingredients on the lower shelf of the fridge and cupboard to prevent the need of looking up
  8. Familiarise yourself with the speakerphone set-up on your mobile phone to allow hands-free talking on the phone
  9. Gather and clean as many button-up shirts and cardigans that you have - these do not require being pulled over your head which can be a difficult task in the recovery position!
  10. iPad or Tablet for Entertainment
  11. Books/Novels
  12. Notepad & Pen
  13. Puzzle Books
  14. Magnesium supplements to prevent cramps that may occur while remaining in one position for extended periods
  15. Dusting Cloth to clean two-way mirror
  16. All chargers and remote controls at hand
  17. All toiletries in bathroom easily accessible. If you can keep your shampoo/shower gel at a higher level so you don't need to crouch down to pick them up during your shower, all the better
  18. Practice walking around your house with your head face down to familiarise yourself with your home space (you'll be surprised at the difference!). This is a particularly useful exercise if you have stairs in your house
  19. Practice gently kneeling for things that might fall on the floor while still remaining face down