When can I swim after tube shunt surgery?

The American Academy of Ophthalmology exercise guidance for trabeculectomy and tube implants is no swimming and no direct water exposure to the eyes until cleared. The Glaucoma Research Foundation says patients are advised to keep water out of the eye for at least one week after incisional glaucoma surgery, and elsewhere advises avoiding swimming for at least 2 weeks after surgery.

Infection is the reason. The American Academy of Ophthalmology says to call your ophthalmologist immediately if your eye is red, painful, or just does not feel right after a drainage implant, because that could be a sign of infection that must be treated right away. BrightFocus Foundation notes that infection can occur months to years after the operation, not just in the first weeks.

Once your surgeon clears you, many people swim normally with a tube shunt. The long term caution is about the tube and its patch graft. EyeWiki notes that tube erosion usually results from the conjunctiva thinning near the limbus over the tube and needs prompt surgical repair to prevent endophthalmitis, so if the eye becomes red and irritated after swimming, get it checked rather than waiting.