Recovering from Eyelid Surgery
- Posted on: Feb 14 2021
Every year blepharoplasty, the clinical term for eyelid surgery, is one of the most popular cosmetic surgeries in the world. It doesn’t take much to figure out why — it is remarkably effective in making the patient’s face look 10 years younger, although not in a showy, obvious way. Eyelid surgery is equally popular with Dr. Coleman’s patients from across the San Antonio area.
But what happens after the procedure? What is recovery like after eyelid surgery? Let’s discuss it.
Immediately after
When you return home after your eyelid surgery, you can expect your incisions to be red and to have some swelling. Your eyes may tear a good deal. We’ll provide drops for your eyes and ointment for your incisions. All of this may make your vision blurry for a day or two; that’s a common temporary side effect after surgery. In addition to ointment for your incisions and eye drops to keep your eyes from drying out, we’ll provide a compress to fill with ice and place on your eyes. This will help keep the swelling manageable. There isn’t excessive pain involved; over-the-counter analgesics usually can handle it fine.
For the first week after your surgery, you will need to avoid activities that tend to dry out your eyes. These include reading, watching television, wearing contacts, or working on the computer. If you keep your head elevated as much as possible for the first few days, swelling and bruising can be minimized. After about a week, Dr. Coleman will remove your stitches.
Beyond the first week
For the first couple of weeks after surgery, you’ll need to wear dark sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun and wind. They will be more prone to irritation. You’ll probably feel as if your eyes tire easily, so you need to take it easy.
After a week to 10 days, most people can return to their normal activities, but you’ll still have to be cognizant of your continuing recovery. You should avoid bending, lifting, sports, even crying, if possible. You don’t want to add pressure and increased blood flow to the area around your eyes.
Overall, recovery from eyelid surgery is not difficult. For many people, after about a week or so they consider themselves recovered. Swelling usually has subsided by this time and the changes in the eyes are now visible. Also, patients who have this procedure enjoy the fact that eyelid surgery is something other people don’t notice. Unlike cosmetic procedures such as facelifts or breast augmentation, people won’t know you’ve had eyelid surgery — they’ll just feel as if you look somehow younger and more refreshed. What’s not to like about that?
Are you interested in the dramatic, yet subtle, results created by Dr. Coleman with eyelid surgery? Call us at (210) 251-4362 to schedule a consultation.
Posted in: Blepharoplasty
