Head cradle plus sliding chest riser. Both modules on the bed; head module alone at a desk.
Face-down pillow
LYXOMED Face-Down Pillow
Two modules: an open head cradle and a sliding chest riser. Hook-and-loop join. Bed at night. Desk by day.
| Modules | Head cradle + sliding chest riser |
|---|---|
| Join | Hook-and-loop track; slide closer or farther |
| Head module | About 11 × 11 in (listing-image label) |
| Face cutout | 6.3 in wide (listing-image label: hard eye covers) |
| Openings | Open face cradle, center channel, side arm openings |
| Foam / cover | Foam; cotton-jersey zip cover, removable, washable |
| Use spots | Both modules on the bed; head module at a table or desk |
| Color | Grey |
| ASIN | B0H33C1H4S |
Why this shape
The chest riser slides so the ribcage sits up; the face sits in an open cradle, not in a stack of pillows.
Two pieces. The head module is an open cradle with a center channel. The chest riser is a separate pad on a hook-and-loop track. You slide it to the length of your own torso.
The listing image labels the head module about 11 × 11 in, with a 6.3 in cutout marked for hard eye covers. Side arches let the arms run through instead of pinning them under the chest.
Both modules on the bed for a long prone rest. The head module alone on a table or desk when you need the same face-down hours sitting up. Removable cotton-jersey cover; wash it.
Folded bed pillows flatten the chest and close the space under the face.
The Amazon listing title-line is “Face Down Pillow After BBL or Eye Surgery.” The eye-surgery use is the rest position in those hospital leaflets, if your surgeon prescribed it. The BBL use is the same shape: chest on the riser, face in the cradle. That is a design description, not a surgical-result claim.
The listing also names daytime face-down rest, evening naps, and a home massage or facial setup. Take the head module to a table to read or use a phone without lifting your head.
A stack sinks. The face ends up in fabric. The belly is pressed into the mattress. This cradle stays open. The riser holds the ribcage up so you are not rebuilding the stack every hour.
What clinicians say
Moorfields: face-down means the nose points at the floor — at a table on a cushion, or prone into a face-down pillow.
When a vitreoretinal surgeon prescribes face-down rest after a gas bubble, the hospital leaflets describe the same two postures this pillow is built for: sitting, head on a cushion; or lying on the stomach, face into a face-down pillow.
Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (September 2025): if advised, typically 3 to 7 days, 45 to 50 minutes of every hour, with a 10 to 15 minute break. Face-down means the nose points at the floor.
Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust / Birmingham Midland Eye Centre (December 2024): start as soon as you can; often up to 10 days; 45 to 50 minutes of every hour in the day; a 10-minute break for toilet, food, and a short stretch. They name a rented or purchased face support as a posturing aid.
This pillow is that rest shape. It is not a treatment, and it does not set your hours. Your surgeon does.
Face-down means the nose points at the floor: at a table on a cushion, or prone into a face-down pillow. Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, September 2025
Macular Hole: Your guide to Macular Hole Surgery. Patient Information Leaflet. Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, City Road, London EC1V 2PD. Author: Robbie Walker, Locum Consultant Vitreo Retinal Service; Yvonne Kana, Nurse Consultant Vitreo Retinal Service. Revision 5. Approval date September 2025. Review date September 2028.
Excerpt of “Posturing after surgery: Face-down positioning,” not the full leaflet.
Your surgeon will advise you if you need to posture after your surgery. For some macular holes, face-down posturing is very important to help the gas bubble press against the macula and maximise the chance of the hole closing.
How long? If advised, you will typically need to maintain a face-down position for between 3 and 7 days, usually for 45 to 50 minutes of every hour during the day. You can take a 10 to 15-minute break each hour for things like eating, using the toilet, and gentle stretching.
What it means: Face-down means your nose is pointing towards the floor. This can be achieved by: sitting at a table with your head resting on your arms or a cushion; lying on your stomach (prone) in bed with your face looking towards the floor off the end of the bed, or into a special face-down pillow; walking with your head looking towards your toes.
Tips for posturing: Whilst generally not required, you can hire or buy special equipment to help with posturing, such as face-down chairs or support pillows.
Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Macular Hole: Your guide to Macular Hole Surgery. September 2025.
Verified 28 Aug 2026 from the original PDF.
After retinal surgery with gas or oil: face-down is one prescribed head position; a face support is a named posturing aid. Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust / Birmingham Midland Eye Centre, December 2024
Post operative posturing following retinal surgery and insertion of a bubble of gas/oil. Information and advice for patients. Ophthalmology. M7664. Issue date December 2024. Review date December 2027. Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust. Department: Vitreo-Retina. Birmingham Midland Eye Centre (BMEC), Dudley Road, Birmingham B18 7QH. A Teaching Trust of The University of Birmingham.
Excerpt of the posturing definition, daytime hours, and the face-support tip — not the full leaflet.
Posturing describes the position of your head and upper body that you need to adopt following your operation.
It is used after retinal surgery to ensure the gas or silicon oil bubble in the eye is positioned against the part of the retina that needs to be flattened.
Usually, you will need to posture for up to 10 days keeping your head in the right position for 45-50 minutes of every hour during the day. You can take a 10-minute break each hour for things like toileting, eating and gentle exercises.
You can use a posturing aid (called a face support) which can be rented/purchased online. Arrange your pillow to support the rest of your body while maintaining the correct posture.
The ward diagrams include: face down; face down, right or left cheek to pillow; sitting upright; left side; right side. The ward nurses advise which position and duration.
Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust. Post operative posturing following retinal surgery and insertion of a bubble of gas/oil. M7664. December 2024.
Verified 28 Aug 2026 from the original PDF.
After surgery
What to skip after surgery
- If a vitreoretinal surgeon prescribed face-down rest, follow the hours they set. This pillow does not set your hours.
- Face-down means the nose points at the floor (Moorfields). Do not lift the head during the prescribed minutes.
FAQ
FAQ
- What is a face-down pillow?
- Two modules: an open head cradle and a sliding chest riser joined with hook-and-loop. The face sits in the cradle. The ribcage sits on the riser, not flat on the mattress.
- How do you keep your face toward the floor if a surgeon asked for that?
- Moorfields Eye Hospital: face-down means the nose points at the floor — sitting at a table with the head on a cushion, or lying prone into a face-down pillow. Use both modules on the bed. Take the head module to a desk. Follow the hours your surgeon set.
- Why not a stack of bed pillows?
- Folded pillows flatten the chest and close the space under the face. This cradle stays open. The riser slides and locks, so you are not restacking the bed every hour.
- Is this a BBL pillow?
- The listing names face-down rest after BBL or eye surgery. The BBL use is the same prone shape: chest on the riser, face in the cradle. This page does not treat BBL as a surgical result to protect.