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Lower Eyelid Drooping After Blepharoplasty, How Long Should I Wait to Fix it?

asked 5 months ago by concerned ion DC in Washington D.C.
Latest answer by Julio Garcia, MD
Question viewed 314 times
Tags: droopy, revision, timing

I got a blepharoplasty three weeks ago and one of my lower eyelids is drooping. I am 58 yrs old and in good health. I am putting ointment in my eye and taping it into place every night and massaging it several times per day. After the first week, the eyelid came up a bit but no progress has been made in the last two weeks. My surgeon says she can put a stitch in the corner of my eye to pull the lid up if it does not improve. Is this the best way to fix it? How long should i wait?

13 answers to Lower Eyelid Drooping After Blepharoplasty, How Long Should I Wait to Fix it?

Lower eyelid retraction

Hi Concerned, It's hard to say without photos, but it's still early. You're doing the right things with taping and massage but the surgeon could inject some steroids as well to help to accelerate the softening/maturation of the scar tissue. At the very least keep you on your surgeon and ensure he/she watches you closely. Seek another opinion as well. If it did become an issue I'd revise it in 3 to 6 months. Don't worry too much yet, in a few... more

Chase Lay, MD
Bay Area Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.chaselaymd.com

Droopy eyelid after surgery

In many cases the nerves that go to the muscles of the lower lid are stretched during the surgery and can take time to get better. I do agree with the taping , especially at night and it might take 6 weeks for the nerve to start working again. Whether or not it will take a simple stitch in the corner is too early to tell.

Julio Garcia, MD
Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

lvcosmeticsurgery.com

Droopy Eyelid After Surgery

It sounds like you have what is called ectropion ("ek tro pea yon"). This is an abnormal position of the lower lid where the lid is furrowed outwardly. This can be due to scarring and/or swelling. Certain patient can be identified prior to surgery by testing how lax the lower lid is by pulling on it. In your case I would wait to see if the position improves as the swelling subsides over a three month period. If present after that time then some... more

Earl Stephenson Jr., MD, DDS
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Lower Eyelid Drooping After Blepharoplasty, How Long Should I Wait to Fix it?

It's best that you have this discussion with the plastic and cosmetic surgeon that did your lower eyelid surgery. If he/she's not able to treat you, assuming your diagnosis is correct regarding the lower eyelid malposition, perhaps he can refer you to a local eye surgeon for treatment.

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

Please please wait

Please wait at least 3 months...preferably even longer. I sometimes recommend waiting up to a year after the initial surgery. Now if it is a severe problem, and it has obviously stopped improving, then 3 months would be the minimum amount of time. In addition, there are other treatment options while the scar is softening: steroid or 5FU injections to help soften scar, or injection of hyaluronic fillers to help stretch tissue and temporarily improve eyelid position. See... more

A.J. Amadi, MD
Seattle Oculoplastic Surgeon

Droopy eyed after blepharoplasties

You may have swelling that has pulled the eyelid away from the globe (eye ball). Usually this resolves with time and conservative measures (like you are doing) over a few weeks, but can take a few months. Placement of a tarsorrhaphy stitch to help close the lateral part of the eyelid opening will help for the short term. If this persists more than 3 months or begins to cause symptoms with the affected eye, then surgical intervention may be indicated sooner. You should discuss this with... more

Todd C. Case, MD
Tucson Plastic Surgeon

Lateral canthus

The first step is massage and patience. If it does not go back into position you should have an evaluation by some one experienced in fixing this not uncommon problem following lower lid cosmetic blepharoplasty. Depending on the reason for the malposition, and where the lid may be contracted can determine the type of repair that would be necessary. Sometimes just stitching it up is not enough.

Perry F. Garber, MD
New York Oculoplastic Surgeon

Lower Eyelid Drooping After Blepharoplasty, How Long Should I Wait to Fix it?

A lot will depend on the examination. It certainly wouldn't hurt to get a second opinion from an Oculoplastic surgeon with a lot of experience in fixing these type of problems.

Sam Goldberger, MD
Beverly Hills Oculoplastic Surgeon

www.neweyelids.com

Lower Eyelid being pulled Down after Lower Lid Blepharoplasty

There are many potential reasons why a lower lid would be pulled down in the immediate (as opposed to weeks after) postsurgical period. The exposure of the white of the eye (ECTROPION) and the inability to completely close the eye (LAGOPTHALMOS) are known surgical complication. A lot has to do with unrecognized laxity and looseness of the lower lid commonly seen in people over 50. As everything in life prevention is better than the cure. In such cases, a simple tightening of the lid... more

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

Timing Of Lower Eyelid Ectropion Repair

In the management of lower eyelid ectropion after blepharoplasty, three weeks is still early. Taping and massage are good early measures and often can be enough for a few millimeters of lower lid sag. Even if not, they buy time for inflammation to settle down and healing to occur. If it fails to correct itself on its own after three months, then surgical correction will be needed. This can be done by tightening the corner of the eye as your surgein has suggested.

Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD
Indianapolis Plastic Surgeon

How to fix droopy eyelid?

This problem must be approached individually. Treatment depends on the degree of eyelid malposition, whether or not there is lagophthalmos, what symptoms you are having, what the trend is over time, how bad it looks, and how you feel about it. Tarsorrhaphy, suggested as a possibility by your surgeon, is a good temporary solution. Corticosteroid injections, massage, and surgical revision (usually a minor office procedure) are other treatments. Sometimes, spontaneously... more

Steve Laverson, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

feelbeautiful.com

The questions is why did this eyelid droop?

You did not provide us a photograph. There is more than one thing that can go awry with lower eyelid surgery. "Putting a stitch in the eyelid" seldom corrects the problem. It is understandable that the surgeon wants to take care of this issue as rapidly as possible for you. However, it does not benefit you to have a fix that does not really help. I agree that a second opinion is a good idea. If you want to maintain your relationship with your... more

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD
Los Angeles Oculoplastic Surgeon

Question for your surgeon

There is no picture posted to evaluate your condition. This question should be posed to your surgeon or other surgeons that have the opportunity to see you in person and assess all photographs and perform a physical examination. It is not possible to intelligently discuss intervention options especially so soon after surgery. Your results are not achieved on a blepharoplasty for approximately 10-12 weeks.