Can you take a plane with a detached retina?
Retinal detachment and flying are divided into pre-surgery and post-surgery considerations. Before retinal detachment surgery, it is generally permissible to fly, as this typically does not significantly impact the symptoms of retinal detachment. However, what occurs after the surgery must be considered. If, after surgery, only silicone oil is used as a filler, flying is permissible as it does not affect pressure changes. However, if an inert gas is used as a filler after retinal detachment surgery, it can expand due to changes in air pressure at high altitudes. This expansion increases its volume, which can alter the internal pressure of the eye, potentially compressing the eyeball and the retina, leading to ischemia of the central retinal artery. In such cases, where inert or expansible gases are filled within the eye, flying is not advisable until the gas has dissipated.