Eyelid surgery Faqs

Does eyelid surgery affect vision?

Most patients find their vision not affected, others find they are blurry for a few days. The eyes can be mildly sore, moist or slightly dry in some cases. Depending on the operation, ointments or drops may be used in the eye to help protect them. On rare occasions longer-term visual troubles have occurred. Removing very heavy upper eyelid skin has been associated with changing the refraction of the eye because the weight of the eyelid is no longer pushing on the actual eyeball itself. Very rarely any cosmetic eyelid surgery could affect vision but we have not seen this problem.

Are the incisions noticeable?

The upper eyelid incision hides very nicely in the eyelid groove above the eye. Sometimes the outer edge is visible under the eyebrow. This is usually most noticeable in the first two months after surgery and what seems a little obvious will often settle down and fade greatly over time. Women can use makeup to camouflage this area. It is very rare that this area will need revision cosmetic surgery at four months to flatten it out.

Can asymmetry be a problem after cosmetic eyelid surgery?

Any operation on the face where there is a procedure done on each side can result in some asymmetry. Usually the asymmetry is mild. However most people have some degree of asymmetry prior to cosmetic surgery. During surgery Mr. Golchin will attempt to to correct any such asymmetries. The human anatomy sometimes cannot be made symmetrical because the underlying skeleton, muscles and skin attachments are asymmetric to begin with. Most people have asymmetries, which do not cause distraction or attention. Perfect geometrical symmetry is in fact considered as unnatural, plastic and artificial.

When can I wear glasses?

Patients can wear glasses immediately after eyelid cosmetic surgery unless there has been a Rhinoplasty. In those cases glasses can usually be worn at about 3 weeks.

When can I wear contact lenses?

Contact lenses can be worn one week after upper eyelid blepharoplasty and two weeks after lower eyelid blepharoplasty.

General cosmetic surgery FAQ:

Smoking

Smoking cigarettes increases the risk of poor healing or infection, causes increased coughing and bleeding after cosmetic surgery and other complications. As a result we strongly recommend smokers to stop smoking for at least 2 weeks before minor surgery and 6 weeks before major surgery.

Medication

Take all routine medicines but certain medicines require attention: If in doubt always check with Mr. Golchin well in advance. Avoid -All aspirin; aspirin containing products and anti-inflammatory products must be stopped at least ten days before and for ten days after cosmetic surgery. Pain relief - Paracetamol and codeine are acceptable pain relievers before and after surgery.

Vitamins

Many vitamins cause increased risk of bleeding and bruising. Stop 1 week before surgery- Vitamin E, Echinacea, garlic, ginger, ginseng, arnica gingko biloba, and St Johns Wort. Do not take combination products containing unknown ingredients (e.g. "Chinese herbs"). You may Take -Vitamin C (don't take more than 1 gram per day), Vitamins B, K, iron and Zinc.

Pregnancy

We do not undertake cosmetic surgery during pregnancy except in emergency situations. If there is any chance you may be pregnant please let us know and organise a pregnancy test prior to booking any surgery.