As of 2015, the recovery period for a vitrectomy, the surgery to repair a macular hole, is approximately three months, reports the National Eye Institute. To maximize recovery results, patients must remain face down for about two days and sometimes up to three weeks. Patients cannot fly for several months.
The macula, located in the center of the retina, enables a person to see details clearly. Surgically repairing a hole in the macula involves placing a gas-and-air-filled bubble over the hole. Staying in face-down position helps press the bubble against the macula, allowing the hole to seal gradually and permitting natural eye fluids to refill the vitreous cavity, explains the National Eye Institute.
