what are the potential complications of eyelid surgery cosmetic upper eyelid surgery
also known as upper eyelid blepharoplasty is consistently ranked amongst the most
popular cosmetic procedures many of my patients have come in motivated to have eyelid surgery
because they realize that their eyes are the most visible part of their face when wearing face masks
I also hear a lot of my patients saying that they end up looking at themselves for extended periods
of time during zoom meetings and they realize how tired they look the aesthetic field has been
experiencing a zoom boom and many of my friends and colleagues are busier than they've ever been
unfortunately the rise in popularity of any procedure generally coincides with the rise
in complications associated with that procedure eyelid surgery is unique in that complications can
not only have consequences but complications can also affect vision and eye function
I'll discuss my perspective on complications associated with upper eyelid surgery
and how i manage these issues when patients are referred to me I'm Dr Amiya Prasad I'm a Diplomate
of the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery and a Fellowship-trained oculofacial plastic and
reconstructive surgeon I've been in practice in New York City and long island for over 25 years
I specialize in a range of cosmetic eyelid procedures such as treating hooded upper eyelids
under eye bags as well as eyelid ptosis correction eyelid retraction repair and
lacrimal gland prolapse I also specialize in helping people who've experienced complications
from eyelid surgery such as lower eyelid retraction upper eyelid blepharoplasty is
typically performed to address upper eyelid skin hooding and fat prolapse this procedure
can really help your eyes look brighter as far as upper eyelid surgery complications are concerned
I see patients who come in with one or more of the following concerns typically one the upper eyelid
looks hollow two the upper eyelid crease is too high too low or doesn't look the way they'd like
three upper eyelids are drooping four upper eyelids are difficult to close
let's start with hollow eyes upper eyelid hooding and redundant skin and fat can often obscure
the appearance of bone volume loss that results in a widening of the eye socket
in this situation the patient may simply need to recognize that aging is not limited
to just laxity of the soft tissue around the eyes but also that it affects the bone structure
I often see this situation and address this problem with the placement of hyaluronic acid
fillers in order to add volume and restore fullness that the patient finds desirable
as far as concerns about the eyelid crease placement
there are times when the outward extent of the eyelid crease may be objectionable to the patient
fortunately the skin in this area can be relatively forgiving and issues related to
the eyelid crease are generally self-limited a strategy that we use in our practice to
avoid any miscommunication is that we have our patient review the markings that i make
before they come into the operating room so they know what to expect afterwards
still looking tired after cosmetic upper eyelid surgery is often due to the operating surgeon
not addressing the patient having had upper eyelid ptosis this is very common as most surgeons who
perform blepharoplasty are not familiar with or comfortable with performing ptosis surgery this
can be frustrating for patients who expected their eyes to appear brighter after surgery
when I see these patients I perform upper eyelid ptosis surgery to help them look more awake and
more vibrant one of the most difficult problems to manage is when too much skin is removed from
the upper eyelids this can result in difficulty with lubricating the surface of the eyes since
the upper eyelid behaves like a windshield wiper to distribute tears over the surface of the eye
oftentimes the same patient will have difficulty keeping their eyes closed while sleeping which
consequently results in exposure of the eye when the eye is not properly lubricated the
surface of the eye and in particular the cornea can become scratched and even infected these
patients typically need aggressive lubrication and protection of the cornea particularly while
sleeping many times I've seen the same patient having difficulty with eye protection because
not only do they have skin shortage in the upper eyelids but they also have retracted lower eyelids
if there is a skin shortage with compromise of the eye then skin grafting procedures may be necessary
throughout my career i have always preached that eyelids that look good function well
recognizing that eyelid function for ocular protection and optimal
vision needs to be considered when planning cosmetic eyelid surgery and thereby help minimize
the risk of complications I hope you found this information helpful thank you for your question
you