AESTHETIC SURGERY

• Anticoagulation medication (Aspirin, Brufen, Warfarin, Clopidrogel) should ideally be stopped few days before the operation to reduce the risk of bleeding, but advise from the clinician who prescribed them is wise beforehand. I would strongly advise you to stop smoking prior to surgery as this can badly affect the outcome of surgery and increase complication rates.
• Please make sure that you arrange to be collected from the hospital as you will not be able to drive after the surgery.
• Plan your time off school / work / sports.
• Allow at least few weeks after surgery before considering a travel

Lower lid blepharoplasty and/or endoscopic brow lifting normally require a one-night hospital stay. Upper eyelid rejuvenation on it’s own might just be carried out on a day care basis. All patients are reviewed a week after surgery when wounds are inspected and sutures removed.

A restful, physically calm schedule for the first 5-7 days after surgery is important to initiate good wound healing and prevent unnecessary rise in head pressure. It is also advisable and often more comfortable, to sleep on higher pillows for the first few days.

It is typical for the lid margins to become bruised and swollen but this usually settles over 5-10 days. Within  the first 2-3 days, patients should spend several hours each day resting with moistened, cooling eye pads to help swelling and bruising resolve. Swelling and bruising is only evident during the first 4-7 days post operation.

In the first few days after surgery it is common that the eyes feel watery. This is typically due to swelling and settles without any specific treatment. Occasionally the watering (and sometimes accompanying discomfort) can last somewhat longer, which may be due to persistent oedema of the conjunctiva over the front of the eye (chemosis). The latter usually responds very well to treatments with drops and ointments, but can in some cases symptoms can last for several weeks and occasionally requires more active management.

The eyelid margin can feel numb for several months following surgery and recovery of sensation may be accompanied by a pricking, tingling feeling, which settles with time. Scars from eyelid surgery typically heal extremely well although no guarantee can ever be given about the final quality of scars in any given case.

Lower lid blepharoplasty and/or endoscopic brow lifting normally require a one-night hospital stay. Upper eyelid rejuvenation on it’s own might just be carried out on a day care basis. All patients are reviewed a week after surgery when wounds are inspected and sutures removed.

A restful, physically calm schedule for the first 5-7 days after surgery is important to initiate good wound healing and prevent unnecessary rise in head pressure. It is also advisable and often more comfortable, to sleep on higher pillows for the first few days.

It is typical for the lid margins to become bruised and swollen but this usually settles over 5-10 days. Within  the first 2-3 days, patients should spend several hours each day resting with moistened, cooling eye pads to help swelling and bruising resolve. Swelling and bruising is only evident during the first 4-7 days post operation.

In the first few days after surgery it is common that the eyes feel watery. This is typically due to swelling and settles without any specific treatment. Occasionally the watering (and sometimes accompanying discomfort) can last somewhat longer, which may be due to persistent oedema of the conjunctiva over the front of the eye (chemosis). The latter usually responds very well to treatments with drops and ointments, but can in some cases symptoms can last for several weeks and occasionally requires more active management.

The eyelid margin can feel numb for several months following surgery and recovery of sensation may be accompanied by a pricking, tingling feeling, which settles with time. Scars from eyelid surgery typically heal extremely well although no guarantee can ever be given about the final quality of scars in any given case.

Recovery after blepharoplasty is usually very straightforward, especially if only upper eyelids have been operated upon. As with any surgical procedure, there are general and procedure (blepharoplasty) specific risks which patients must be aware of:

General Risks (especially if operation is carried out under general anaesthetic):

• Adverse reaction to general anaesthetic
• Clots in the legs/lungs
• Vein trombosis / inflammation (trombophlebitis)
• Bruising and swelling in the operated area (especially in patients on aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs)
• Scarring
• Hypertrophic (lumpy and itchy) scars
• Delayed healing
• Numbness, alteration in sensation around operated area

Procedure Specific Risks: 

• Infection is very uncommon the eyelid surgery, and typically present with redness, swelling, pain/grittiness in the eyes, fever, feeling unwell and ultimately discharge from the wounds. Most infections would respond to early treatment with oral or topical antibiotics.
• Post-operative bleeding is a risk after any surgery. Following blepharoplasty the concern is of a bleeding into the wounds, which can tend to cause significant swelling, discomfort and difficulty opening the eye. Minor haematoma (blood collection) can often be dealt with by simply removing one or two sutures and re-dressing the wound, whereas more significant haematoma may require further surgery to remove any blood collected from the wound and to arrest any active bleeding occurring (this is extremely uncommon). Severe bleeding which develops in the deeper tissues and spreads behind the eye is a very rare but can cause blindness.
• In older patients, with relatively poor support to the lower eyelid, surgery carries a greater risk of lid falling away from the eye or dropping down causing so called ectropion. Ectropion may in turn, require additional surgical treatment.