How Do You Asess 12 Days out if It's Ectropion or Swelling Beneath Lower Lid Causing Retraction?

Post lower blepharoplasty. 12 days out. One eye is great and swollen. The other less swollen and significantly retracted (5mm) with bowing, and slight out turn of lower lid. I'm wishing and hoping that this is swelling below and beneath lid, which is present but minor. What are the odds this will 'self heal'. I'm having significant anxiety. Ps states he is not concerned but body language and tone say otherwise. When do I look at a revision, and what is the cost, recovery for just one eye?

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After surgery, the eyelids should be swollen but basically in the right place.

It is true that things improve after surgery. A photograph would be immensely helpful. However, when I speak to patients coming to see me to get fixed after cosmetic eyelid surgery, they all tell me that they knew immediately that there was an issue. I think you know you have an issue. What I can advise you is to be very careful with the surgeon performing a "tuck" or putting in a "stitch" to fix the issue. Massage the eyelid if this is recommend, use eye drops... more

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD

8 reviews

Los Angeles Oculoplastic Surgeon

Recovery after lower blepharoplasty

It's impossible at 12 days after lower blepharoplasty to judge the results of your surgery. There would be expected swelling still present that will affect your appearance. It may take several months to begin to see how your eyes may look once the healing has been completed. I would give it some more time and be sure to keep your follow up appointments with your surgeon.

Tnplasticsurgery.com

At 12 days post op, I would wait for the swelling to come down. I have been there many times with a patient and more often than not, this clears on its own. Hope I am helpful Dr Thomas Narsete Austin, Tx

Post blepharoplasty eyelid position problem

Why are you doing eyelid surgery if you don't know the answers to these questions? If the eyelid is everted it is "ectropion". It may or may not need further treatment. All experienced eyelid surgeons know that asymmetric swelling is common, occasionally produces lid eversion and sagging, and almost always resolves with time, assuming the surgery was judicious and uncomplicated by hematoma or infection and the preop canthal and tarsal support and anatomy were normal. Usually... more

Be patient with eyelid retraction.

Often, mild lower eyelid retraction will resolve with time and conservative management. Sometimes this can be helped with gentle massage and/or injection of steroids or other anti-fibrotic medicine [5FU]. I would recommend close follow up with your surgeon so that he/she can decide where you fall in this continuum. The one thing I would recommend is fight the urge to request revision surgery early. One thing I always stress to patients when they come in for revision surgery is... more