Eyelid Surgery
Author: Sherman Winston Reeves, M.D., M.P.H.
What conditions require Eyelid Surgery?
Several disorders of the eyelids can occur which may require surgery to correct.Ptosis is a drooping of the eyelid, usually related to age acquired laxity of the lid retractor tissues. The drooping eyelid may be cosmetically concerning or may even cause obstruction of vision. Dermatochalasis is an excess of eyelid skin which may drape over the eyelids, causing the eyes to look tired and may even obstruct vision as well. Additionally, Eyelid Surgery can be performed to remove benign or cancerous growths on the eyelid or repair damage incurred from trauma or scarring.
What will I experience during Eyelid Surgery?
Eyelid Surgery is typically performed on an outpatient basis. Some procedures, such as biopsies or removal of small growths, may even be performed in a clinic setting. Typically, a Valium pill is given, or sometimes intravenous drugs are used to make a patient feel calm and comfortable before the surgery. Then numbing anesthesia is given to the eyelids. This may sting briefly, like a bee sting, but typically only lasts 10-20 seconds. Then the surgeon will perform the Eyelid Surgery. The procedure may last anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour or more, depending on the amount of surgery to be performed.
What is the recovery period like after Eyelid Surgery?
Stitches are almost always required to help close the wounds after the surgery. Often dissolving stitches are used, which are absorbed by the body over the course of a few weeks. During the healing phase, your surgeon will likely ask you to use antibiotic ointment on the wounds several times a day to help them heal quickly with minimal scarring. Eyelid Surgery scars are typically not noticeable, as the surgeon places them in the crease of the eyelid so they cannot easily be seen. Your eyelids may appear black and blue for a week or more after the Eyelid Surgery, as bruising is common with this kind of procedure. Ice packs applied to the eyelids after the surgery can help limit the bruising. This bruising typically resolves within 2 weeks.
What are the risks of Eyelid Surgery?
As with any surgery where incisions are made on the skin, there is a small risk of bleeding and infection with Eyelid Surgery. These complications are very rare, but could potentially lead to loss of vision or extremely rarely, loss of the eye. Scarring is also a small risk with Eyelid Surgery. Some scar will occur, but typically it is not noticeable. A small risk of scarring that adversely affects how the lids function is present, however. Finally, sometimes the desired outcome of Eyelid Surgery is not achieved with the first procedure. This is especially true of ptosis surgery, in which the precise amount of lid raising can only be assessed after the surgery is done and all of the swelling has resolved. As such, sometimes a second surgery is needed to fine tune the outcome of the eyelid surgical procedure.
