Complications From Eyelid Surgery
Complications From Eyelid Surgery can occur from any operation. Common complications include bleeding, bruising, and infection. Blepharoplasty recovery time varies from patient to patient, but typically it takes about three weeks for the incision sites to fully heal. How to qualify for eyelid surgery is simple; you need a consultation with a qualified and highly-skilled surgeon such as Dr. Tholen or Dr. Vallejo to determine whether you can be helped by eyelid surgery. Although this guide covers all aspects of Complications From Eyelid Surgery, if you’re ready to begin your journey towards younger-looking eyes and less stress on your eyesight, they are ready now to help you get started
In this guide, we review the aspects of Complications From Eyelid Surgery, blepharoplasty recovery time, how to qualify for eyelid surgery, and what can go wrong with eyelid surgery.
While complications after eyelid and facial surgery are fortunately quite uncommon, we feel that it is important for our patients to know that Dr. Kass; as a uniquely trained, triple board certified, oculofacial plastic surgeon; is qualified to address any problems which can occur. In fact, Dr. Kass has written numerous articles dealing with the treatment of complications of eyelid and facial surgery. Because of his unique training and expertise, and the numerous lectures he has given at prestigious international conferences, Dr. Kass is referred patients from all over the world who are unhappy with the results of their surgery performed elsewhere.
Complications after cosmetic eyelid surgery are uncommon but can include dry eyes, tearing, excess scarring, inability to close the eyes, rounded or sad eyes, eyelid retraction, and other eyelid and facial malpositions.
If you are unhappy with the results of your eyelid surgery, you may wish to contact Dr. Kass for a consultation today to learn what he can do to help you.
Dry Eyes
Dry eye symptoms occur most commonly after eyelid surgery and fortunately, are usually temporary. Treatment includes reassurance, over the counter lubricating drops, gels, ointment, frequent blinking, and in some cases, Restasis (prescription eye drop specifically approved to treat dry eyes). If this problem persists, other treatments may be necessary.
Tearing
Tearing also occurs commonly early after eyelid surgery. After the eyelid has been lifted, this may cause your eye not to close all the way while blinking, or even remain open while sleeping. This can lead to reflex oversecretion of tears. Fortunately, this is usually temporary and may resolve completely after several months. Treatment may be the same as that employed for dry eyes and may also include digital massage. Rarely, surgical revision may be required.
Excess Scarring
Scarring is another common complication of cosmetic eyelid surgery. While any skin incision leaves a scar, some tend to be more prominent than others. After eyelid surgery, and once your sutures have been removed, Dr. Kass may suggest rubbing scar cream or vitamin E into the incision site to help reduce scaring. Should a serious thick scar appear, Dr. Kass also carries prescription strength scar gel in his office. We have found most patients prefer this scar gel and are pleased with the results they receive from it. In extreme cases, a scar revision may be performed, however, most doctors prefer to wait six months or even a full year after your original procedure to see how the skin fully heals before considering scar revision surgery.
Inability to Close the Eyes
It is not uncommon for patients not to close the eyes fully right after surgery. In Dr. Kass’ opinion, this often resolves with time and with patience. While awaiting for improvement, the eyes can be protected with lubricating drops and ointments. In the rare occasions that this condition persists, additional surgery can be used to address this issue and to achieve full eyelid closure.
Rounded or Sad Eyes and Eyelid Retraction
When evaluating eyelid asymmetry, it is important to remember that no face is perfectly symmetric. One side is NEVER a mirror image of the other and it would look odd if it was. One eye is slightly larger than the other, one’s eyebrow may be higher than the other, and one ear may be lower than the other. Although some patients may fixate on these normal asymmetries, it is likely that the differences are so minor that they go unnoticed by others.
During eyelid surgery, Dr. Kass tries to address asymmetries which are of concern to the patient. After eyelid surgery, most asymmetry is temporary, and it is usually due to the fact that one eye ALWAYS heals at a different rate that the other. Because of this, Dr. Kass believes it is important to be patient and to keep faith in your eyelid surgeon when assessing the results postoperatively. Follow up continually with your doctor because in most cases the asymmetry will heal on its own. Only after 6-12 months have elapsed from the original surgery will Dr. Kass even consider whether additional surgery might be necessary to help a patient to achieve the desired results.
In rare cases, extreme swelling can cause ectropion, scleral show and change of eyelid shape (round or sad eyes), entropion and ptosis. Ectropion is when the lower lid pulls outward away from the eyeball, possibly causing scleral show, sad or rounded eyes, change in eyelid shape, eyelid retraction, and soreness and redness to appear. In the great majority of cases, and once all of the swelling subsides, the eyelid will return to its normal position. It is important to wait a full six months before assessing the results of eyelid surgery and eyelid malpositions. Surgical reposition of the eyelid is rarely necessary for patients who wait these six months. The same is true if entropion should occur. Swelling in the upper lid may result in incomplete eyelid closure or may cause the eyelid to appear droopy (known as ptosis). As with the lower eyelid, usually this will clear up on its own. However, if after 6 months the problems persist, corrective surgery can be used to reposition the lid and improve symmetry.
Complications From Eyelid Surgery
Eyelid surgery, also known as blepharoplasty, is a cosmetic procedure that’s been around for decades. Eyelid surgery can be done for many reasons including to remove bags or wrinkles from under the eyes and reduce puffiness. It can also be used to fix droopy eyelids or correct asymmetry between the upper and lower eyelids. While there are many benefits to having this procedure done, it isn’t without risks. Here are some complications you might expect after having eyelid surgery:
Bleeding
Bleeding can occur after any surgery, but it’s not dangerous. If you experience bleeding from your eyes, it’s important to know how to treat the problem yourself and when it’s time to seek medical attention.
Pain
Pain is a normal part of healing, but it can be managed with medication and ice packs. If you experience pain after eyelid surgery, talk to your doctor about taking painkillers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Your doctor may also recommend applying cold compresses directly over the area where sutures are located for 20 minutes at a time throughout the day to reduce swelling and discomfort.
If you have any questions about your recovery or pain management plan, don’t hesitate to call us at (800) EYE-DOCS (393-4657).
Swelling and Bruising
Swelling and bruising are common after eyelid surgery. Swelling can last up to 3 weeks, while bruising may be visible for up to 2 weeks. You can reduce swelling by applying cold compresses and taking ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol).
Unappealing scars
Scars are a common complication of eyelid surgery. They can be reduced in appearance with laser treatments, but they’ll always be there. If you’re not bothered by scars and don’t have any other medical conditions that would make surgery risky for you, then it’s worth considering scarring as part of the tradeoff for getting rid of bags under your eyes or wrinkles around them.
If you do want to avoid scars altogether–or if you need to cover up an existing one–makeup is an option (though it won’t look quite as good as what we see on Instagram).
Numbness of the eyelids and skin around the eyes
You may have numbness of the eyelids and skin around your eyes. This is caused by cutting the nerves during surgery, which can take several days to heal. It can be painful and it can make it difficult to close your eyes completely.
Change in your vision
You may experience changes in your vision, including:
- Seeing double or seeing objects in a different position.
- Spots or lights.
- A flashing light.
If you have any of these symptoms, contact your doctor immediately as they can be signs of complications from eyelid surgery.
Decreased tear production
You may notice that your eyes are dryer than usual, or that they have a gritty feeling. This is a temporary effect of surgery and will go away after the first few weeks. The risk is low and temporary, but if you’re worried about it happening again, talk to your doctor before your next appointment.
Inability to close your eyes completely while sleeping
You can prevent this by opening your eyes before you go to sleep and closing them again, or simply keeping them open for a few minutes after getting into bed.
If you do experience an inability to close your eyes completely while sleeping, there are some things that can help:
- Try using an eye mask and earplugs so that if you do fall asleep with your eyes open, it will be easier for them not to dry out.
- Use artificial tears if needed (but don’t use too much because they can cause stinging).
Risks are minimal but you should understand them before making your decision.
Risks are minimal but you should understand them before making your decision.
The risks are not as bad as they were in the past, but they can still be significant if you have a pre-existing condition or if you’re older than 60. The risks also increase if you have multiple procedures done at once.
blepharoplasty recovery time
Blepharoplasty, known colloquially as eyelid surgery, is one of the world’s most popular cosmetic procedures. The eye area is very prone to revealing the signs of aging due to how thin the skin is in the area. At Boulder Plastic Surgery in Boulder, CO, we are proud to offer both upper and lower blepharoplasty to help our clients continue to look as young as they feel. If you’re considering this procedure, read on to learn more about the recovery process.
How Long Is Recovery After Eyelid Surgery?
If you get lower eyelid surgery, you can generally expect to be recovered fully after just 14 days. However, recovering from surgery requires a lot of energy. If you get lower and upper blepharoplasty, a full recovery may take you a bit longer. Everyone’s blepharoplasty recovery experience is different, but you should not be taken aback by feeling exhausted for the first 24 to 72 hours post-op. Make sure you rest as much as your body tells you to, especially during this time.
By the eighth day of your recovery, you should be feeling like your old self. However, it is still important to rest your eyes as much as possible. It is also very important that you keep fueling your body properly so it can continue to heal, and get lots of sleep. Moreover, it is important that you do not exercise too much, smoke, drink alcohol, or subject yourself to excessive heat. These can increase your blood pressure significantly.
How Long Will I Need to Take Off From Work?
You can generally expect to need between five and 10 days off from work. Usually, people who only get upper or lower blepharoplasty feel up to going back to work after just a week off. Contrastingly, people who get upper and lower eyelid surgery feel they need two full weeks to dedicate to their recovery.
What Can I Do to Recover Faster?
During your initial consultation, we will give you a complete rundown of what to do to take care of yourself after your procedure. While every recovery experience is unique, you can feel confident that your recovery is going as smoothly as it possibly can if you adhere to all of the post-op care guidelines. Here is a brief overview of what is expected:
Eat Nutritiously
Maintaining a healthy diet during your recovery period will help you tremendously. To recover from the incisions made during your surgery, your skin requires an abundance of collagen. To produce a sufficient amount of strong, healthy collagen, your body needs lots of three vital amino acids and vitamin C. It also needs lots of water. Therefore, you should strongly consider eating water-dense foods that are high in vitamin C and protein.
For example, eating broccoli after your eyelid surgery is a great idea because broccoli is high in water, vitamin C, and protein. As an added bonus, this cruciferous vegetable is also high in soluble fiber. Soluble fiber will be a crucial component of your diet if you take certain analgesics to remain comfortable after your procedure. Sometimes, certain analgesics can make regular bowel movements difficult. Soluble fiber will mitigate the risk of constipation.
Drink Plenty of Hydrating Fluids
You will also help to ensure your recovery goes as quickly as possible if you remain hydrated throughout your recovery process. To reiterate, water is a vital ingredient for the production of collagen in the foundational layer of your skin. It is also crucial for keeping your existing collagen strong and healthy. If you get tired of drinking water, don’t just increase your sodium intake to make your body retain more water.
Remember that there are several beverages that will hydrate you effectively. For example, if you get tired of drinking still water, try drinking sparkling water. If you start to find the taste of tap water boring, try drinking mineral water or infusing your water with your favorite fruit. You can also increase your hydration by drinking black coffee or unsweetened tea. Neither coffee nor tea has enough caffeine to act as a diuretic.
Rest Your Eyes
After some cosmetic procedures, it is okay to sit in your favorite recliner and watch TV. However, it is extremely important that you rest your eyes as much as possible after blepharoplasty, especially if you get both upper and lower blepharoplasty. Instead of exposing your eyes to many hours of blue light by watching television or playing a computer game, try to keep yourself entertained by listening to an audiobook or working on a number puzzle in natural light.
If you look at a device that emanates blue light waves, wear a special pair of eye protection that will block the blue light. The more blue light you are exposed to, the more your ability to sleep deeply is negatively affected. Your ability to fall asleep quickly is also affected by blue light, and getting plenty of restful sleep is a very important part of the recovery process.
Protect Your Eyes
It is also very important that you protect your eyes after blepharoplasty if you want to heal as quickly as possible. If it is very windy and you have to go out, make sure you wear eye protection. If it is sunny out, wear sunglasses. Otherwise, wear clear or amber glasses to protect your eyes from the wind. It is also very important that you keep your eyelids from burning.
To avoid direct sunlight, wear a billed hat whenever possible. When wearing such a hat is not appropriate, wear sunglasses with UV protection and do your best to stay indoors between the hours of 10 and 4. Also, make sure you wear a high SPF sunscreen that blocks UVC rays when you go outside.
Rest Your Brain
Resting your eyes will go a long way in helping you recover as quickly as possible. Resting your brain is another key step you must take to ensure you heal fully as soon as possible. Usually, adults can function adequately with just 7.5 hours of sleep. Since recovering from surgery is so demanding on your body, you should aim to get nine consecutive hours of sleep. The more consecutive sleep you get, the more restful sleep you generally get.
If you don’t usually sleep for nine hours per night, you may want to try sleeping for nine hours nightly before your surgery. Get a good sense of how long it takes you to fall asleep at night and adjust your bedtime accordingly so you’re not late for work. If you find yourself struggling to sleep for nine consecutive hours, consider your sleep hygiene. You may sleep better if you practice such good habits as:
Rest Your Body
Another important step to take to ensure you heal as quickly as possible is to get at least 2.5 hours of moderate exercise per week. Moderately intense aerobic exercise supports your cardiovascular system. The importance of this is that your cardiovascular system transports everything your skin needs to build collagen and heal itself, like micronutrients, macronutrients, oxygen, and human growth factors. The stronger your vascular system is, the faster you’ll heal.
However, if you push yourself too hard, you will only slow your recovery down. Make sure that you take breaks while exercising whenever you feel you need to. If you feel like walking for 30 minutes in a row is too taxing, walk as far as you can comfortably. Then, try to walk some more when you’re feeling up to it. At the end of the day, any gentle movement you do to get your blood flowing a bit more is better than being sedentary. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.
how to qualify for eyelid surgery
Deciding to get eyelid surgery is a complicated and highly involved decision. But one day, those droopy, sagging eyelids might be too much to handle so now you’re doing the research to answer the big questions. When is eyelid surgery medically necessary? How much does eyelid surgery cost? However, one of the most most asked questions concerning eyelid surgery is insurance-related.
But when does insurance cover eyelid surgery, and what are the requirements for eyelid surgery to be a covered medical procedure?
For some people, eyelid surgery can help vision and is referred to as Functional Eyelid Surgery. An upper eyelid lift is one type of procedure that could fall in this category. This includes a blepharoplasty, an eyelid ptosis repair or fixing a drooping brow. Most commonly associated with plastic surgery and aesthetic-type procedures, the procedure seeks to eliminate excess skin over the upper eyelids or to open the eyelids more. Having the eyelids more open can help some people see better, and more often than not, people are raising their eyebrows constantly to open their eyes, which is a sign of a droopy eyelid. When the eyelid surgery is simply to remove puffiness around the eyes, this is considered an elective procedure and not covered by insurance.
One can qualify for eyelid surgery, covered by medical insurance, if it is deemed medically necessary. The main reason cited is impaired vision is caused by excess upper eyelid skin which can make everyday activities such as driving, reading and using telecommunication devices much more hazardous. Let your doctor know if you are having specific issues in your daily life from your droopy eyelids. Functional eyelid surgery can include removing excess skin overhanging the eyelashes, opening the eyes by raising the level where the eyelashes sit if they are covering your pupil, or lifting a drooping brow for some insurance plans that allow this as a covered procedure..
To first see if eyelid surgery is covered by insurance, the first step is to look up your insurance carrier to see if it is even an option. When you visit the doctor, standardized photos will be taken and the doctor can determine if the eyelid is blocking your vision. A visual field test will be needed, as many insurance companies require proof in the form of a visual field test in order to determine coverage for eyelid surgery. The photos and visual field will be submitted to the patient’s insurance provider for approval. Your insurance company may decide you qualify for eyelid surgery through insurance for all or a portion of the eyelid surgery procedure cost, depending upon the patient’s specific insurance plan. Many plans do not cover any kind of brow surgery, and it is important to understand that there are restrictions that are out of the doctor’s control, and your surgery may be deemed out-of-pocket and not covered by your insurance. In addition, Medicare and other insurers will allow one type of procedure to be done but not two, so if you have a drooping eyelid and also excess skin, one of those procedures could very well be out-of-pocket.
what can go wrong with eyelid surgery
You may be a candidate for an eyelid rejuvenation or an eyelid lift procedure (Blepharoplasty). Eyelid lift surgery is highly effective when done correctly. But before you have eyelid surgery, learn more about the potential pitfalls – the common mistakes some Surgeons can make during Blepharoplasty / Eyelid Rejuvenation.
When you look in the mirror, do you sometimes hold up your eyelids with your fingers? Do you pull the upper facial skin back with your hands – trying to imagine how your eyelids might look if they were surgically lifted or corrected?
You might be ready to look into surgery, but here’s what you need to know before choosing a Surgeon.
The first thing to know is that Eyelid Surgery, whilst very popular amongst women and men who want to look younger or have more noticeable eyes, is NOT a simple procedure. It is complex, and because it is so close to the eye area, it is also potentially risky if the wrong procedure is performed OR if it’s NOT performed by the right Specialist Surgeon.
Here are the top 5 mistakes surgeons can make with a Blepharoplasty / Eyelid Rejuvenation
1. Too much fat gets removed
There is something called too much of a good thing.
One of the most common mistakes of blepharoplasty is for your surgeon to remove TOO much fat. This is sometimes called “hallowing”
This takes the appearance of your eyelids from youthful and fresh to taught and frankly startled! It’s not what most people are wanting to look like after Surgery, and an Experienced Oculoplastic or Plastic Surgeon with extensive experience often knows how to avoid this because they’ve had such extensive experience – but a less experienced, or less skilled Surgeon, can get it very wrong.
Help to avoid this by with your surgeon before the operation what end result you want. And ASK to see before and after SURGERY images of your Surgeon’s eyelid lift surgery patients’ results.
What to ask your Surgeon for: You’ll want a conservative, natural-looking result that is also long-lasting.
2. Your eyes are VERY bruised
Everyone reacts differently to surgery and some patients are known to bruise more readily than others. However, a top Plastic Surgeon can sometimes minimise the post-op bruising due to having a finessed, highly skilled approach.
Whereas an overly aggressive eyelid lift procedure can result in more extensive bruising around the eyelid and eye area.
Most bruising does heal on its own, but there might be a long-lasting difference in the appearance to the eye region OR a longer healing period.
You definitely want to choose a Surgeon with surgical finesse, precision skills and extensive experience. Selecting an experienced, certified and qualified Eyelid Surgeon, such as Dr Patrick Briggs will significantly lessen your chances of having this happen.
Remember to ask to see previous patients before and after pictures and ask to speak with prior patients who’ve had the procedure done by your Surgeon.
3. The eyes appear asymmetrical
You finally take the leap for eyelid surgery to remove your eye bags. But the results don’t match!
Having mismatched or asymmetrical eyelids after blepharoplasty is a common mistake that can occur with Eye Lid surgery.
It can occur due to the tissues having been over-excited – or simply due to natural changes in the way each eye responded to surgery or to healing processes.
This is something that can be corrected with revision surgery after the full healing time has passed post-surgery. Some of this can be avoided but there is some unknown in how the two sides of the face will heal (and we all know that the two sides of a face are anything but perfectly symmetrical).
4. Your lower lid is in the wrong place
Lower lid surgery is extremely delicate and micro-centimetres make all the difference.
Mal-positioning of the lower lid is a big mistake that can give your eyes the appearance of being different sizes, or even make it look as if you have a squint.
Again, revision or secondary surgery can fix this once healing time has passed and tissues have regained their pre-surgical state.
5. You can’t fully close your eyes – THE BIG ONE
Perhaps the most concerning risks of a Blepharoplasty procedure is losing the normal function of your eyelids when a Doctor or Surgeon takes too much skin away or creates incisions in the wrong place. We have seen this as a major complication of cheap overseas surgery.
When too much skin is removed during a blepharoplasty, you may have difficulty completely closing your eyes. Sadly, this is really hard to repair as once the skin is removed you can’t add it back. Nowhere else on your body is the skin as thin and delicate as your eyelid. So it is always better for your surgeon to be overly conservative the first time – and occasionally go back and remove a bit more in a second or revisionary surgery.
How to Help Avoid Undesired Surgical Outcomes in Eyelid Rejuvenation
This is something that can be avoided by selecting an experienced Surgeon that has an outstanding track record and a very precise, precision skilled approach to eyelid surgery.
This means careful measuring and marking of the eyelid skin to be excised, and an acute understanding of the laxity of the skin as well as your unique facial anatomy, BEFORE taking anything off!
So what is a Blepharoplasty and why is it so complex?
Eyelid lift surgery, or blepharoplasty, is a form of facial surgery that can dramatically rejuvenate your entire appearance. It tends to involve ‘skinny incisions’ and careful readjusting of the skin and fat tissues around the eyes, with sagging skin removed surgically through excision processes.