When can I fly after a vitrectomy?

This is the single most important rule on this page. AAO states plainly that you cannot fly in an airplane, go to mountains or high altitudes, or scuba dive until the gas bubble is gone. ASRS says that when a gas bubble has been used, air travel, nitrous gas anesthesia, and ascending to higher altitudes should be strictly avoided to reduce the risk of elevated eye pressure.

The reason is physics. Cabin pressure falls as the plane climbs, so the bubble in your eye expands. AAO explains that this expansion dramatically increases eye pressure and can cause severe pain, permanent vision loss, or even blindness. StatPearls describes the same mechanism and notes the risk of central retinal artery occlusion and permanent vision loss when intraocular gas expands with altitude.

How long that lasts depends on which gas your surgeon used. StatPearls reports plain air lasts about 5 to 7 days, SF6 about 1 to 2 weeks, and C3F8 about 6 to 8 weeks. AAO's EyeNet review gives about two weeks for nonexpansile SF6, three weeks for C2F6, and eight weeks for C3F8. Those are averages, not permission slips.

Do not use a calendar to decide. AAO says your ophthalmologist will confirm when the gas bubble has completely dissolved and travel restrictions can be lifted. The only safe clearance is your surgeon looking inside your eye and telling you the bubble is gone. The same caution applies to mountain driving and any trip that gains significant altitude, so ask before you go.

If your eye was filled with silicone oil instead of gas, this restriction works differently, because oil does not expand with altitude. Still check with your surgeon first, since only your surgeon knows what is actually in your eye.