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Kamran Jafri, MD answers: Concerns after Brow Lift, Midface Lift, and Eyelid surgery

I am a 37-year-old male in pretty decent shape. It is my 24th day post-op from an endoscopic Brow Lift / Midface Lift (I have 4 incisions in my hairline). The doctor pulled/tightened my droopy cheeks and put some fat injections at the cheek bone. I also had upper and lower Blepharoplasty. He only removed the fat from under my eyes (bags), no cuts on lower eyelids.

One side of my eyebrows doesn’t move at all, and the other I can begin to detect SOME movement. The night of surgery, I had a small emergency due to a hematoma needing cauterized on one side of the hairline area (the eyebrow movement problem side). I had to go back into surgery that night to stop the hematoma in my forehead. He drained most of the blood. That part was a horrific experience.

I felt a lot of blood was left in the forehead. It still feels squishy and swollen. Also, my forehead stitches still have not dissolved and there a couple of serious holes/depressions in the hairline where he did the work on both sides. They are still a little painful. I don’t brush my hair there yet. It feels so weird. It is still numb on top of my head; I still feel some tingling in the brow area too. I feel like I need to go see a neurologist just to know what is going on up there.

Will I ever have my eyebrow movement back on that side? I have read that it could be permanent and it is a rare complication. Will the swelling go down more in my forehead? It seems so slow and inflated. Will the holes in my hairline smooth over? When will stitches dissolve?


Kamran Jafri, MD
5 months ago

 Hello G Rod,

Sorry to hear about your post operative experiences. The best advice any of us could give you without the benefit of directly examining you and knowing exactly what was done during your procedures would be for you to continue to closely follow with your Surgeon.

Based on what information you have provided much of what you are experiencing can occur as part of the normal postop healing process as well as related to the hematoma and swelling you have experienced.

Often times patients feel like they don't want to "bother' their Surgeon - this is never the case, so please do follow with and ask all the questions you want of your Surgeon. Sometimes patients feel like they haven't gotten a satisfactory answer to their concerns - even this should never be the case - let your Surgeon know what you are thinking and feeling and I am sure they will be able to guide you through this stressful time for you.

A: Time will likely help all your concerms

Steven J. Pearlman, MD
5 months ago

It is early to tell if any of the changes you describe are permanent, but to put you at ease MOST ARE NOT. Muscle weakness recovers in the majority of patients, but may take weeks to months. A little blood under the skin will also go away with time as well.
As for your hairline. The hair follicles are often "shocked" by and incision in the scalp and may take a few months to recover as well.

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