Possible Complications

All surgical procedures entail some degree of risk. It is unethical for any doctor to guarantee a favorable result from the operation you are considering. We can only promise to do our best for each individual patient. Complications and bad results from this operation are uncommon, but they do sometimes occur.

It is possible that this operation will not improve your appearance or help the function of your eyelids as much as you had expected. It is even remotely possible that your appearance and the function of your eyelids will be worse after the operation than preoperatively. Problems which can occur include: bleeding, infection, abnormal discoloration or pigmentation of the skin of the eyelids, dry eyes, abnormal folding-in or folding-out of the eyelid skin, an inability to fully close the eyes, or a pulled down lower lid lash line. Complications of eyelid surgery can cause prolonged healing, change in or loss of vision, unpleasant-appearing and painful scars, the inconvenience and cost of further surgery, and the possibility of requiring eye drops or ointment, temporarily or perpetually.   Occasionally, the whites of the eyes will become temporarily bloodshot-this could last for many weeks, but always resolves spontaneously.

It is very important to understand that no person is perfectly symmetrical from side to side. Even following the most successful operation, some side-to-side discrepancies will persist. There are other possible complications from this operation in addition to the ones that have been mentioned. However, it is not possible to advise you of every conceivable complication.

The purpose of this information is not to frighten or upset you, but to insure that your decision to have this operation is not made in ignorance of the risks of eyelid surgery. Most patients have a very satisfactory result following the blepharoplasty procedure and complications actually occur rarely.

There are no dietary restrictions post-operatively.   Rarely is pain medications required.   However, you are cautioned to avoid alcoholic beverages while taking any medication for pain, sleep or tranquilization.