Bruising & swelling
Swelling and bruising will vary for each person. Current surgical techniques minimise this but occasionally some patients do have a higher level of bruising or swelling which in no way affects the final result.
Ice packs applied for 30-60 minutes will reduce the swelling and after 1-2 weeks you shouldn’t expect any swelling or bruising. If the bruise spreads to the white of the eye and turns bright red, don’t panic. The bruise will settle in around 2 weeks.
Milia
Sometimes milia (small whiteheads) can form in reaction to sutures. Eyelid skin is more prone to milia than other areas, especially in people with oily skin. They are not a problem and are easily treatable.
Watery or dry eyes
Watery or dry eyes may occur after the surgery and can last for a few weeks. It is rare for this to continue beyond three months.
Chemois (jelly eye) can occasionally develop in blepharoplasty patients which causes some swelling in the clear portion of the eye. Eyedrops can help chemois to settle quicker, although this will settle on its own.
Eye Shape
Going into eyelid reshaping surgery most people start with eyes that are slightly different shapes. our surgeons make every attempt to make the eyes as asymmetrical as possible but occasionally there are minor differences between the eyes. This poses no medical issue and the difference is too small for other people to notice.
Scarring
Blepharoplasty has been specifically designed to improve the skin and soft tissues around the eye. Occasionally the soft tissues heal in a way that gives a slightly unnatural appearance to the eyelid. Rarely, this can require revision to improve the shape.
The majority of the time scars from eyelid surgery heal extremely well. Patients with a history of keloid or hypertrophic scarring may have scars that remain more noticeable. You should let your surgeon know prior to surgery if you have previously had problems with scar healing.
Under correction
Sometimes not quite enough skin is removed in order to prevent the serious complication of excessive skin removal that can limit full closure of the eye. Undercorrection can be simply resolved with trimming of any extra skin under local anaesthetic as required.
Double vision
In the immediate post-operative period double vision can occur and settles quickly. Rarely the double vision will persist and further treatment is required.
Visual loss
There have been very rare cases where people have lost their eyesight following eyelid surgery and is usually due to bleeding behind the eye.
Significant pain is not to be expected after surgery. If you experience any serious pain after surgery it is crucial that you inform your surgeon.