Well, I've been told my surgeon is very conservative, hence the air bubble tamponade. He says it helps stabilize the eye after surgery.  I'm not sure if I understood this correctly, but I think he said the air has greater surface tension than liquid, so if you put air against the incisions, they'll only leak air, not fluid.  He believes the incisions will leak slightly, even if you displace the conjunctiva and sclera and use the 30 degree angle tool insertion. But at least there is no liquid to potentially conduct bacteria from the surface of the eye into the eye cavity and I think the air may prevent liquid from the surface of the eye from entering the eye as well.

I'm not sure if this instruction is due to the air bubble or the incisions, but he told me to keep my head above my heart, as in don't bend over to pick up stuff, and don't pick up anything that weighs more than a gallon of milk.  Also, today he told me today that he doesn't want me to drive for a week.  That's the first time I heard that I'd have this restriction.  It'll be kind of inconvenient since my kids are on winter break from school starting tomorrow afternoon! Luckily, I think my husband has a few days off so he can take them out somewhere.  Otherwise, I'm afraid they'd develop cabin fever!