macular hole vitrectomy

My wife had macular hole vitrectomy 5 days ago. On the 3rd night she started having severe pain in the eye. Her vision in the other eye dropped from 20/30 to 20/70. The surgeon attributes all of this to the "face down" and thinks
both the pain in the operated eye as well as the poor vision in the good eye will go away when the face down is no longer needed. Is such a situation normal and should my wife just patiently wait for a few weeks?
I'm very concerned that such simptoms are not NORMAL.

[Michael J Kutryb, MD]

You may be right.  I would not just assume the decreased vision in the good eye is just due to face down positioning.  Why don't you see your general ophthalmologist who will be better able to deal with the decreased vision in the other eye.  A complete exam with this doctor will be able to answer your question with certainty.  I suspect the retinal surgeon is concerened about the macular hole surgery.  So again, see your regular ophthalmologist about the new problem in the good eye.  All questions about the surgical eye need to go to the retinal surgeon.

MJK MD