After Your Eyelid Surgery
In the recovery room, you'll probably experience nothing worse than some lid tightness or tenderness and perhaps blurred vision from the lubricating ointment. You'll lie with your head elevated and with cold compresses on your eyes to reduce swelling.When you're ready to go home, put on your sunglasses, even if it's dark or cloudy, for protection against airborne irritants.
For the first few days, your doctor's orders will probably include frequent use of eye drops.You may be told not to do anything for long periods of time that might tire or dry out your eyes, such as reading, watching television, or using a computer. Avoid rubbing your eyes, and don't plan on wearing your contacts right away.
When you go out, wear sunglasses. Ultraviolet light can permanently darken scars. Your doctor might prescribe a sunscreen made just for eyelids.
Side Effects, Risks, and Complications
Call the doctor right away if you have severe pain, bulging eyes, or more than mild fluid buildup (edema); if your vision gets worse instead of better; or if numbness is more than very mild and short lived.
For the first week, your eyes may look bloodshot and you'll notice some swelling, slight bruising, and a "gumminess" - a change in the consistency of the protective tear film that covers your eyeball.This film is made up of water, oil, and mucus; after surgery, the composition of this film may change temporarily, so that it feels gummy rather than watery.
You might also experience tightness or difficulty closing your eyes; dry or watery eyes should last no more than a few days, but may persist for a few weeks. Blurred vision is often caused if the medicated ointment used on your incisions enters the eye; also, a temporary change in vision can result from the slight swelling around the eyeball. It is not unusual after eyelid surgery to develop tiny skin cysts, called milia, which may form on the scar line; these cysts may simply disappear or your doctor can remove them with a fine needle.
Head off potential problems by calling your doctor if an incision doesn't seem to be healing normally, a scar is g e tt ing darker rather than fading, or your eyes just don't seem to be working right after the first few days at home. Sometimes all that's needed is massage therapy or medication.
Combining Eyelid Surgery with Other Procedures
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 eyelid surgery with Endoscopic Forehead Lift and facelift.
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Sagging eyebrows may be causing some of the droopiness in your upper lids. If this is the case, talk to your doctor about having a Endoscopic Forehead Lift, also called a forehead lift, before or at the same time as eyelid surgery. If you do have a Endoscopic Forehead Lift, less skin will need to be removed from your eyelids.You might require an eyelid-tightening procedure if the lower lids are extremely lax. On the other hand, if laxity isn't severe, your surgeon may use a laser to tighten your lower lids rather than working through external incisions.
Some surgeons perform a midface lift with eyelid surgery, moving cheek tissue upward to fill grooves under the eyes. This can give much-needed support to the sagging lower eyelids and allow more to be done to improve the lower eyelid "aged look." If the skin under your eyes is darkly pigmented, bleaching or a chemical peel may help. Botox injections, chemical peels, and laser resurfacing might also improve your eyelid surgery results by softening laugh lines at the outside corners of your eyes. Before your eyelid surgery, your doctor will discuss the advantages and the optimal timing of additional procedures.
Questions to Ask the Surgeon ?
- Will the surgery affect my vision?
- Do I need to follow a special diet after surgery?
- How long will the results last? Will I need additional surgery down the road?
- What's the best type of cold compress to use during recovery? Do you recommend a special mask for sleeping?
- What vitamins and other supplements, if any, can I safely take before and after surgery?
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