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Cannot Blink After Facelift

asked 1 year ago by naimah in Damascus, 13
Latest answer by Sam Naficy, MD
Question viewed 652 times
Tags: upper eyelids, blink

after face lift that i did 4 weeks ago my upper eye lid of the left eye donot blink what cause that and what to do thanks

17 answers to Cannot Blink After Facelift

Cannot Blink 4 Weeks after Facelift

If you cannot close your eye 4 weks after surgey, request an immediate, thorough examination. I am most concerned about a severe, permanent injury to your eye. After evaluation and treatment, a diagnosis can be made.

Richard W. Fleming, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.bevhills.com

Reduced blink after face lift

Although it is hard to tell without examining you, what you are describing is possibly caused by injury to one of the branches of your facial nerve

Sam Naficy, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

Can't blink after Face Lift

If you mean that you can't close your eye after your Face Lift, you should be seen by the plastic and cosmetic surgeon, ASAP, that performed your Face Lift for evaluation and possible precautioanry treatment against dry eye syndrome. He may refer you to an opthalmolgist for evaluation. The eyelid muscles are innervated by branches, of the facial nerve, that can be injured during a Face Lift...although this is relatively rare in the hands of anexperienced Face Lift surgeon. more

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Don't panic, 4 days after your facelift. But call your surgeon!

He or she will want to know if you aren't blinking. Temporary measures need to be taken NOW to protect your eye. Later, it can be determined if you have a nerve bruise (palsy) or severance (paralysis). But for now, get him on the line. Taping it shut and lubricating gels are in order.

Ritu Chopra, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Unable to blink

If you are unable to blink your facial nerve may have been injured or bruised. This may or may not get better with time. Often eye drops and eye lubricants are recommended along with possibly an eye shield until the condition improves.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Eye won't blink after face lift plastic surgery

This may be due to mechanical or neurologic conditions. You should really seek the evaluation of your physician to determine the cause and institute measures to minimize the potential for exposure keratitis

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Failure of the eye to blink after Facelift could indicate nerve injury

The Frontal Branch (also called Temporal Branch) and Zygomatic Branches of the Facial Nerve can be injured during a Facelift. These two nerve branches can provide innervation to the Orbicularis Muscles which are responsible for eye blinking. Because there are multiple branches supplying the blinking muscles it is very unusual that all branches are injured and thus very unusual that eye blinking is disturbed. Fortunately, because of this dual innervation, eye blinking difficulty... more

Brooke R. Seckel, MD
Boston Plastic Surgeon

www.drseckel.com

Cannot Blink After Facelift

It would appear that you have an injury to a branch of your facial nerve. This often resolves itself on its own if the nerve is just bruised and not cut. However, you need to see an Ophthalmologist as soon as possible to prevent injury to your eye from drying out. I would also suggest you see your surgeon and talk with him/her about this.

Paul Vitenas, Jr., MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon

Facelift - upper eye

You should see an Ophthalmologist (eye doctor) immediately because if you can't blink, your eye can dry and cause serious and permanent damage to your cornea. You should also see your plastic surgeon to let him know what happened. Dr. Cat Begovic M.D.

Catherine Huang-Begovic, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Blinking After Facelift

Inability to blink after Facelift is not a common or normal occurrence after Facelift. The branches of the facial nerve responsible for blinking innervate the muscle in a very deep plane very close to the nose. Therefore, I am puzzled as to what happened. My recommendation is that you return to see your Surgeon for recommendations, reassurance, and possible solutions.

Stephen Prendiville, MD
Fort Myers Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.drprendiville.com

If you mean that you cannot close the eyelid properly making the eyelids meet this is definitely abnormal following a eyelid sur

Thanks for your enquiry, I'm not exactly sure as to what you mean by your upper eyelid is not able to blink. If you mean that you cannot close the eyelid properly making the eyelids meet this is definitely abnormal following a eyelid surgery procedure. If you cannot close your eyes you're in danger of causing damage to the eyeball itself as the function of the eyelid is to protect the eyeball when you are sleeping. It maybe sensible to post a picture of the area on the... more

Adrian Richards, MD
London Plastic Surgeon

Facial nerve injury after a face lift.

Dear naimah from Damascus According to your description after your face lift about 4 weeks ago your upper eye lid on the left side does not blink. This is injury to a branch of facial nerve. If the nerve was not cut during your face lift surgery and it was simply compressed, the function will return within 3 months. However if the branch was cut the function may take up ot a year to return. Eye care and protection is very important at this time. Talk to your surgeon in this... more

Kevin Sadati, DO
Orange County Facial Plastic Surgeon

Trouble with blinking after facelift

This happens when one of the branches for the facial is injured during surgery. This is one of the well recognized complications of facelift surgery. Fortunately the large majority of patients recover spontaneously over a 3 to 6 month period. It is actually difficult to damage this nerve permanently. In the meantime, there are supportive measures to increase your comfort and reduce the risks to your corneas from exposure. Consult with an ophthalmologist immediately.

Peter T. Truong, MD
Fresno Oculoplastic Surgeon

www.facialsurgerydr.com

Problems with eyes after a facelift

If you didn't have any eyelid surgery at the same time, I would be concerned that a branch of the nerve that makes your face move was bumped or injured. Usually these recover over a few months. If your eyelid was operated on, it may be something else. Either way, lubricate your eye to protect it and stay in very close touch with your doctor or an ophthalmologist (eye specialist).

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Eyelid not Blinking 4 weeks after a facelift

Hi, You should make sure you see an Ophthalmologist and lubricate you eye. If your eyelid is not functioning properly your eye can dry out and cause problems. Usually you are given drops and ointment to lubricate your eye until the problem is resolved or solved. It may be that you have some facial nerve weakness or injury. Most of the time this resolves but can occasionally be permanent. Best, Dr.S.

Oleh Slupchynskyj, MD
New York Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.facechange.org

Facelift and eyelid issue.

I would need more information to be able to give you a more precise answer but I will try. First, did you have an upper eyelid surgery (Blepharoplasty) at the same time as the Facelift? if you did, maybe too much skin was removed but in that case you should be able to blink but not to close your eyelid entirely. If you only had a Facelift, then does your left forehead move, meaning are you able to raise your left eyebrow? if you cannot then it is possible that one of the... more

Henri P. Gaboriau, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

If you have not already seen an ophthalmologist, do so immediately.

At four weeks after a facelift, an eyelid that does not close is usually due to some injury to a facial nerve. Many time it will recover over several month, but it should be evaluated if a repair is needed and especially if the eye needs to be protected. However, if you also had your eyelids done, the problem may be a tight upper lid which can be helped by massage and stretching of the tissues. Dr. Mayl Fort Lauderdale