What is recovery like after eyelid surgery?
Recovery after eyelid surgery depends on several factors: the type of surgery being performed,
if another surgery such as facelift is being performed at the same time, the method of
anesthesia, the surgical team including nurses and technicians, the surgical technique and
the post-operative recovery process.
It has been my assertion that the patient’s experience during and immediately after surgery
has a significant impact on the recovery period.
The factors that I optimize in my practice to help my patients recovery faster include:
the anesthesia method, the surgical team, the surgical technique and the post-operative
recover process.
In our practice, we perform eyelid surgery under local anesthesia with intravenous or
IV sedation.
The same anesthesia is used if we are doing other procedures at the same time such as
browlift or facelift.
We rarely use general anesthesia which in my experience, requires longer recovery which
is more likely to cause nausea and vomiting and patients experience prolonged bruising
and swelling.
We developed our own customized approach to sedation which consistently results in our
patients waking up fresh and comfortable allowing them to go home soon after surgery.
Having the right surgical team of nurses and technicians can have a significant effect
on how smoothly and uneventfully a surgical procedure is being performed.
I perform my procedures in my own operating facilities which are accredited by the joint
commission.
The joint commission is the same organization which oversees hospitals and ambulatory centers.
I have observed how working in my own facilities with my own experienced team resulted in our
patients have a better recovery experience.
For optimal cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, the surgeon should have: an artistic eye,
technical expertise and experience.
During my consultations, I discuss how I feel that as a surgeon over 20 years of experience,
I am able to respond to many situations in a way an experienced pilot can respond to
different situations when flying a plane.
A well executed surgical procedure will typically result in a better recovery process.
The postoperative care begins in the facility where the surgery was performed.
Many surgery centers and hospitals have too many patients with too few nurses and support
staff.
This is the time when swelling and bleeding can affect the outcome of your procedure.
In my facility, we have systems and more people to attend to our patients immediately after
the completion of surgery which has helped our patients recover faster.
At far as the at home recovery processes are concerned, it is typical to have some swelling
and some bruising particularly in the first 24-48 hours.
We see this improved daily such that most of our patients are able to return to work
in 5 to 7 days after surgery.
Some application of cover-up makeup or tinted eyewear can be helpful at that time.
A significant part of the healing process does occur in the first few months.
However, healing can go on to approximately one year after any type of surgery.