Upper Eyelid Swelling After Blepharoplasty

What you are experiencing is, in all likelihood, normal. Swelling that comes with reclining and goes away a while after you get up is usually not a dangerous situation, although it is always helpful to check in with your doctor to be sure.
Particularly in the head and face, when we lie down, we lose the effect that gravity provides in the upright position- gravity pulls any excess fluid down, which is why you might notice that your feet may swell during the day but be better in the morning.
The fluid that gravity causes to flow down to your trunk and to your legs gets re-distributed when you lay down, and all of your body parts, including your head, are at the same vertical level. Areas that have recently had surgery are more susceptible to swelling because the healing process may allow fluid to accumulate more in areas where the blood vessels and other drainage vessels are still regenerating.
This is the reason that we often ask patients to elevate the head of their bed at night- to keep the head and face at a higher level than the rest of the body, so gravity can help us with the swelling.

Good question! Swelling after blepharoplasty is very normal. The eyelid skin is very thin and surgery can temporarily affect the lymphatic drainage from the eyelids which leads to a fair amount of swelling during the recovery period. This typically resolves by 1-2 weeks, but can take longer based on degree of surgery and other patient factors (blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, etc.). If the swelling comes and goes, it is likely expected edema from the temporary disruption of normal lymphatic drainage. This will likely improve on its own, but things to do to help speed the process include limiting salt/sugar intake in the diet which can cause the body to hold onto more fluids, sleep with head elevated (gravity will help fluid go downhill), intermittent ice to the affected area (no longer than 15 minutes), and limiting hot showers/steam which causes blood vessels to dilate and can cause worse swelling.
Hope this helps! Kyle Kimura, MDFacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Thanks for your question. this presentation is not alarming and is likely more noticeably because you only operated one side instead of both, which is not as common .When you are standing up, gravity is working in your favor and draining the fluid in your head and neck with the help of gravity. When you lie down, the head is now at the same height of the heart and therefore it is no longer going with gravity to get the fluid out and is more likely to swell. This will all normalize in the coming weeks ahead.
-Dr. David Mattos, New York Plastic Surgical Group