When can I drive after tube shunt surgery?

Surgery day is out. The American Academy of Ophthalmology says your eye may be patched after the procedure and that you may need to wear the patch overnight, so you need a ride home.

After that there is no published number of days. The Glaucoma Research Foundation lists driving among the activities to take a break from while recovering from glaucoma surgery. The limiting factor is vision, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology says vision may be blurry for several days to a few weeks after a drainage implant.

Two extra considerations with a tube shunt. Some people get double vision, which the American Academy of Ophthalmology lists among the risks of a drainage implant, and double vision is a driving problem in its own right. And your other eye may also have glaucoma damage. Ask your surgeon directly rather than guessing, and remember US state licensing vision standards still apply.