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Bloodshot Eyes After Blepharoplasty Surgery

asked 3 years ago by Brown Eyed Girl in Charlotte NC
Latest answer by Chris Thiagarajah, MD
Question viewed 4,957 times
Tags: bloodshot, side effects

I had upper and lower Blepharoplasty 13 days ago. I went back to work after 10 days. I work on the computer, so I took my eye drops to work. The first two days were okay, however, when I came home today, I noticed that my eyes were bloodshot. I have never had bloodshot eyes in my life. Should I be worried? I realize that the computer is going to bring more blood flow but I did not expect this. I am starting to regret this surgery. I am sure it did not help that I had my little space heater on as well. I guess I am nervous due to all the cornea damage talk.

14 answers to Bloodshot Eyes After Blepharoplasty Surgery

It can't be that cold in Charlotte

Brown Eyed Girl, I think you know the answer to your own question. It is very important to maintain moisturization of your cornea after blepharoplasty surgery. Your space heater and many hours in front of the computer (not blinking as frequently as you should be) are probably causing your eyes to dry out and become irritated. Turn off the heater and use your eyedrops more frequently. The irritation will subside. Good luck!

Kenneth R. Francis, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Blood shot eyes are harmless.

To Brown Eyed Girl, Hi. This looks terrible, but it is pretty common after eyelid surgery and it always goes away in a few weeks. It will not hurt your eyes and it does not mean damage to your corneas. If you have PAIN in your eyes, that can be serious and you should see your surgeon right away.

George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Redness can be a sign of irritation

Red eyes can be caused by many things including corneal irritation, allergies, corneal abrasion, reactions to medication, etc. Blepharoplasty can alter your eyes ability to blink and change your bodies ability to clear debris and spread tear film over your eyes. If you had no redness after the surgery and are now having issues it may or may not be related to the surgery. The typical course for corneal irritation or inability for a patient to protect their eyes with the typical mechanism of... more

Steven H. Williams, MD
San Francisco Plastic Surgeon

Blood shot eyes after surgery

There are several causes for this 1. Your eyes may be dry - artificial tears or lubricating drops will help 2. You may have developed an allergy to a medication that goes in the eye - stopping the medicine will help Bloodshot eyes will resolve over time. I would keep lubricating them and see your surgeon in the next following week.

Chris Thiagarajah, MD
Washington DC Oculoplastic Surgeon

Delayed appearance of bloodshot eyes is common after blepharoplasty

You should check with your doctor who performed the surgery to be certain that nothing is wrong. However it is common for bloodshot eyes to occur as long as a week or so after blepharoplasty -- it most always seems to be a delayed phenomena and occurs in people who religiously use their moisturizing ointment post op. I do not think it indicates dry eye, but it is very important to keep the eye moist after blepharolasty by using the eye ointment your doctor prescribed. I also do not think it... more

Brooke R. Seckel, MD
Boston Plastic Surgeon

www.drseckel.com

Dry eye and eyelid surgery

Dear Brown Eyed Girl, It's been awhile since you posted. However, what you are describing with eye irriation is presumably dry eye after eyelid surgery. Generally, we tell our patients that this can persist for 6 to 8 weeks. It is a good idea for your surgeon to assess the ability of the eyes to produce tears and any evidence of a base line dry eye condition. This does not prevent people from having eyelid surgery, but it should guide the doctor in preparing the patient to know what to... more

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD
Los Angeles Oculoplastic Surgeon

Redness after Blepharoplasty not unusual

This is not at all unusual and is most likely related to the increased circulation to your eyes from the surgery. It can be made worse if your eyes become dry so be sure to use ocular lubricants liberally during the first 3 weeks. If your eyes become inflammed you may ask your physician for an Acular prescription, it is costly, but it is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory that can reduce the redness and irritation.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Keep calm

Bloodshot eyes in and of themselves, do not always mean a problem. It could indicate dry eyes, early corneal irritation. Other things to look for include pain, scratchy feeling. If you do not have pain/discomfort, or visual disturbances, you probably suffering from dry eyes. This should pass as your eyelids start to function properly. The key to getting better is to avoid things that dry the eye- overhead fans, space heaters, etc. Genteal eye drops work great. Patching the eyes at... more

Scott E. Kasden, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

You are likely fine

Cornea problems, while concerning, would be unlikely manifesting following a couple of normal days. Normally after blepharoplasty, your conjunctiva, or the linings over your eye, are more susceptible to irritation and dryness (that heater is not helping). In the early postoperative period, your eyes may not even be staying closed properly at night, and this can also cause irritation and worsen irritation during the day. It is important to continue the eye drop regimen that your surgeon... more

Adam David Lowenstein, MD
Santa Barbara Plastic Surgeon

Treat your eyes well after blepharoplasty

Turn off the heater, use your eye drops and take care of your new eyes. Get plenty of rest, drink lots of water and listen to your doctor.

Robert M. Freund, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Bloodshot eyes can be common following eyelid surgery

Blepharoplasty or eyelid lift surgery will significantly change the exterior contour of the eyes. Typically women in their 40's and early 50's develop dry eyes. Following eyelid surgery this dry eye issue can be accentuated causing significant conjunctival injection or bloodshot eyes. This is often very noticeable in the morning but can progress throughout the day with serious eye stress. You should see your surgeon for a follow up appointment to determine if further treatment may be... more

Christopher L. Hess, MD
Fairfax Plastic Surgeon

Inflammation of eyes persists for months after eyelid surgery

It is very common to experinece dry eye, irritation, redness, itching, and tearing after lower blepharoplasty for several months after surgery. this can be worsened by heavy computer work, heat, and windy environment. Lubricating eye drops, anit-inflammatory eye drops, cold compresses, and most importatnly REST, are very helpful. be patient because eyes are very sensitive, and this will persist for several months. yours, sean younai, MD, FACS,

S. Sean Younai, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Blood shot eyes

This is not uncommon. The eyes can be very dry after a blepharoplasty. You may want to use the eye drops to keep the eyes very moist. This will minimize the irritation. Steven Wallach, MD www.stevenwallachmd.com

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Redness of the eyes following eyelid surgery

It is not entirely unusual for your eyes to be red following a 4 lid blepharoplasty. It would be important to know if you every had a dry eye problem prior to surgery. Are you putting any ointment on your incisions. Things that can cause irritation include allergies, dryness of the eyes due to exposure and some medications. If you are using an ointment on your incision it should be an ophthalmic type. If a regular ointment gets in the eyes it could cause redness. A suggestion would... more