Eyelids won't shut after blepharoplasty

I had an upper Blepharoplasty 6 weeks ago. My eyelids still do not shut all the way. I can make my eyelids shut if I "muscle" them down, but if I shut them gently then about 2 mm of sclera shows, particularly from the center of the eyes to the inner corner. My eyes also open now when I sleep. My plastic surgeon said that the amount of sclera showing is mild and will correct itself over time. Is this normal, and is he being honest? I really worry that I'll need to have skin grafts or some sort of corrective surgery.

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13 answers to “Eyelids won't shut after blepharoplasty”

A: Eyelids won't shut after blepharoplasty

Brooke R. Seckel, MD

Your experience with difficulty closing the upper eyelids is common for the first 4-6 weeks after upper eyelid blepharoplasty . This almost always normalizes with time. Using the moisturizing ointment especially when sleping at night is very important. Using a sleep mask and cotton balls to help kep the... more

A: not able to close eyes after upper bleph

Trevor M. Born, MD

Dear AchingEYESUSA You should return to your MD with your concerns.  Immediate protection of the corneas is important and a full assessment of your eyelid function and corneas is a priority.  There are many steps that can help with this at the momemt- lid massage, lubrication like TheraTears, taping... more

A: Eyelid lag correction after upper Blepharoplasty

Amir M. Karam, MD

As mentioned above, a small amount of scleral show is normal after upper eyelid blepharoplasty. However, this should get better within several weeks. You may be able to help this along by massaging the lid in a downward direction to help prevent scar tissue from keep the lids from closing. The main issue is... more

A: Upper Lid Blepharoplasty

Steven H. Williams, MD

There are two different questions open right now... the first from aching eyes who has had a bleph approximately six weeks ago.  The important issue for you at this point is your ability to protect your cornea.  A small amount of lagopthalmos (inability to fully close your lids over the globe) is not... more

A: Dry eye syndrome after blepharoplasty

Hisham Seify, MD, PhD

Your symptoms point to the diagnosis of dry eye syndrome. Four years following eye lid surgery is a long time for a regular improvement to occur. The general lines of treatment include surgical revision if the cause of the dry eye symptoms is inability to close the eye lids. Lower lid ectropion repair or... more

A: The eyes have it

Kenneth R. Francis, MD

Inability to completely close the eyelids after an upper blepharoplasty is not an uncommon event and usually resolves over time.  The fact that you are not complaining about dryness or irritation means that you are achieving enough closure to protect your cornea.  Follow the instructions of your... more

A: Not uncommon

Steven Wallach, MD

Ideally, you want to close your eyes completely without any significant effort.  It shoudl get better with time.  For now, lubricate the eyes, and massage them.  If you notice any irritation or significant itchiness or redness, go back and see your doctor.

A: Protect your eyes

David Shafer, MD

Since your eyes are not closing completely, the most important thing at this point is for you to protect your eyes with lubrication. Six weeks after surgery your eyes should be able to shut. However, your tissue is still healing and settling, so do not loose hope. Usually when you have blepharoplasty you... more

A: Some things you can do right now

George J. Beraka, MD

It is very, very rare to need skin grafts after an upper blepharoplasty. So, eventually, you should be fine. In the mean time, there are three things you can do to help: 1) Massage.  If you massage your lids downward for 5 minutes twice a day, this can stretch the lids just enough to get closure... more

A: Keep a Lid On It - Vision Before Vanity

Athleo Louis Cambre, MD

A mild degree of tightness and temporary inability to shut the eyes completely is within the normal realm of post-operative healing in the first few weeks after Upper Blepharoplasty.  However, it is unusual to have "scleral show" after an upper blepharoplasty, since this generally describes... more

Comments

OP
7 posts
5 Dec 2008

I'm a patient who had Blepharoplasty in 2004, followed with some more corretion for the upper eyelids during 2005. Since then i have irritated eyes. My lowerlids are red all times, dry and itchy.I went to see some doctor including the surgeon who performed the surgery and they told me i had allergies and gave me bunch of eyedrops with steroids, but nothing worked.Finally,the last doctor i visited, came to a conclusion, that my upper lids don't fully close, and my tear production is low (5,6).I checked my tear production before having the surgery that was (8,10).Im concerned, it's been 4 years since the surgery and my eyes are bad, i'm currently using genteal drops and gel during the night,but i see only a little improvement, the redness never goes away, i also keep my humidifier on while i sleep or im at home, but as soon as i go out especially in winter time, my eyes get really red.Is there a way i can get rid of this condition, this dry eye symtom developed during these years after the surgery? I feel so helpless living and dealing with this condition every day that never stops.I would appreaciate any help from you doctors. Thanks, OP

truecolors
149 posts
8 Jan 2009

There are 2 things that the surgeons on this website have not mentioned regarding the treatment of eye "redness" and "dryness." The suggestions that I have heard from ophthalmologists, are the following--but please check with your own eye doctors before trying either possibility. Suggestion #1: Wash your eye area with diluted BABY SHAMPOO, such as Johnson's baby shampoo, because it's possible that the redness in your eyes might be caused by MITES that live in the eyelash area. My sister's opthalmologist suggested that she do this, and it helped both my sister and me with our eye redness. [My sister has never had eyelid surgery, but I have]. It's also possible that, because most soaps sting the eyes, the patient is not cleaning the eye area as well as needed--ie., there may be residual eye makeup left after washing one's face that irritates the eyes causing pain and redness. I think the baby shampoo helped me in this regard too. Suggestion #2. TAPE your eyes closed at night with a tape your opthalmologist recommends and follow his instructions on how to tape them correctly. My opthalmologist recommended just plain old 'Invisible Scotch tape," about 1" of it taped vertically from the upper cheek to below the eyebrow (thus it does not stick to the eyelashes). This helps keep the eyes from drying out if you have poor eye closure during sleep. This was ENORMOUSLY helpful for me. I don't know if these ideas will help others or not, but I hope Realself.com's doctors will comment on it. ....and please check with your own doctors before trying either of the above suggested treatments.

aliu
109 posts
24 Nov 2008

With that amount of white showing (2mm), it should get better with time.  It may have been secondary to taking too much skin off or if your surgeon also raised your eyelids with ptosis surgery.  Skin grafts for the upper eyelid are very very uncommon thankfully as inevitably, the upper eyelid skin will stretch and hood again with time.  That being said, you have to protect your eyes/cornea from drying as this can lead to irreversible damage.  Lubricant eye ointments when you sleep and routine use of eye wetting drops can protect you until the eyelid skin begins to stretch and drop again.  Massage of the incision and exercises (hold your upper eyelashes down with your fingers while trying to raise your eyelids) can help as well.  Worse comes to worse, you can have a temporary stitch placed in the corner of your eye (tarrsorhaphy) to help protect your eyes.  This may not look good but it sures beat the alternative of irreversiable cornea damage.

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