What is the Best Eyelid Surgery Technique to Avoid Occurrence of Dry Eyes?

asked 6 months ago by anon
Latest answer by Mark Taylor, MD
Question viewed 104 times
Tags: causes, dry eyes, eye drops, reasons, surgery, technique

Does the dryness only occur after eyelid surgery because of eye shape changes? Is it possible to manage this side effect using special eye drops?

9 answers to What is the Best Eyelid Surgery Technique to Avoid Occurrence of Dry Eyes?

If you are normal before surgery, careful design of the eyelid surgery will leave you enough skin to easily close your eyes.

The greatest risk of dry eyes post surgery is taking too much skin out so that the eyelids cannot easily close at night. A skilled and experience eyelid surgeon can minimize the risk of dry eyes after blepharoplasty. Seek a consultation with an experience and well respected eyelid surgeon in your area.

Mark Taylor, MD
Salt Lake City Dermatologic Surgeon

www.gatewaylasercenter.com

Dry eye after blepharoplasty

There are alot of potential reasons for patients to get dry eye after eye surgery. First they may be prone to it, second the surgery may disrupt the natural drainage and tear production, ectropion or sclera show with wekaness of the the lower lid may cause this as well. Lubrication after surgery, evaluation before surgery, and canthopexy/canthoplasty may help diminish the risk of it.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Dry eye after cosmetic eyelid surgery?

No, post-surgical xerophthalmia (dry eye) is related to many more complex factors than changes in shape of the palpebral aperture. Dry eye is managed chiefly by prevention, and when this fails, as it frequently does, by a variety of measures depending upon the clinical situation. "Eye drops" to add moisture is certainly the most basic and first line treatment.

Steve Laverson, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

feelbeautiful.com

Eyelid surgery and dry eyes

If I see a patient who already has dry eyes and wants a blepharoplasty, I will recommend a transconjunctival approach to the lower lid, meaning that the incision is on the inside of the eyelid. That way you are highly unlikely to experience ectropion, or downward bowing of the eyelid, which if it happens can contribute to problems with the tearing mechanism. For the upper lids I would be conservative in how much skin is removed. Remove too much and the patient won't have... more

Paul W. Loewenstein, MD
Milwaukee Plastic Surgeon

Dry eyes after blepharoplasty

Your question is not appropriately formatted because the best procedure or technique in one patient can cause a major problem in another. There are lots of different reasons why someone could have dry eye after blepharoplasty including they had it marginally before surgery and then have it fully afterward. It can be from taking out too much skin or it can be from failing to tighten the lid horizontally/vertically with a canthopexy. Your surgeon needs to examine you fully before surgery and... more

Aaron Stone, MD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

What is the Best Eyelid Surgery Technique to Avoid Occurrence of Dry Eyes?

Dry eye syndrome is the result of increased exposure, of the eyes, after Eyelid Surgery. This occurs when too much skin has been removed from the upper eyelid and/or the lower eyelid drops in position. Find an experienced plastic and cosmetic surgeon to perform the eyellid surgery and have the lower through a transconjunctival approach. This approach has much less incidence of lower lid malposition which was the conclusion that i published in a scientific paper on the... more

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

I would take exception to Dr. Truong's statement, with all due respect.

Many, many people having eyelid surgery in fact already have dry eye. The swelling of the eyelids makes this dry eye much more symptomatic. Within a few weeks much of this swelling resolves with improvement in the dry eye symptoms. Artificial tears and ointment can be beneficial for ocular comfort while the swelling persists. Dr. Truong states "Long term dry eyes following eyelid surgery is usually due to a technical error on the part of the surgeon such as too... more

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD
Los Angeles Oculoplastic Surgeon

Dry eyes and eyelid surgery

Short term dry eyes is common with eyelid surgery due to swelling and alteration in the normal blinking mechanism. This is managed with artificial tears and other ocular lubricants. Long term dry eyes following eyelid surgery is usually due to a technical error on the part of the surgeon such as too much skin is removed from the upper or lower lids or using the wrong approach to the lower lids causing scarring and lid retraction. Some bridges should not be crossed so choose your surgeon... more

Peter T. Truong, MD
Fresno Oculoplastic Surgeon

www.facialsurgerydr.com

Upper eyelid surgery and Dry Eyes

The upper eyelid is the eyelid that blinks and distributes tears over the cornea. There are two main reasons for dry eyes: reduced tear formation and inadequate movement of the upper lid. As we age we tend to produce less tears and this can lead to dry eye symptoms like itching. There are a number of eyedrops which help with this problem. An upper blepharoplasty can interfere with movement of the upper lid temporarily after surgery or permanently if too much skin is... more