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Eyelid Surgery Risks

What are the risks of upper eyelid surgery?

Asked 29 months ago by A 1944 in Washington

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upper eyelids risk

Most important and common risk of eyelid surgery

Dear Alexa Please don't let anyone rush you into eyelid surgery because it is simple and straight forward. My colleagues have done a good job describing the textbook issues that can arise after upper eyelid surgery. However, by far the most common and most important potential complication is a failure of communication between you and your surgeon. You go to the doctor and you might even ask for an upper eyelid blepharoplasty. However this may or may not be what you need. The doctor might... more

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD

Los Angeles Oculoplastic Surgeon

Risks of Upper Eyelid Skin Removal (Blepharoplasty)

Upper eyelid blepharoplasty is an extremely safe procedure. As with any surgery, there is a risk of infection, bleeding and scarring. The most common risks include: Prolonged bruising and swelling Temporary inability to completely close the eyes Eye dryness Need for a touch up to remove remaining skin. Rarely double vision or loss of vision may occur. All in all, upper blepharoplasty is a great way to improve your eyelid appearance with minimal... more

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Adam J. Cohen, MD

Chicago Oculoplastic Surgeon

Risks of upper eyelid surgery

Risks of all surgeries no matter what surgery... bleeding scarring infection These issues are not super pertinent to upper eyelid surgery The primary risks of upper eyelid surgery are poor cosmetic outcome, need for revision surgery, lagophthalmos (inability to close your eyes all the way) Risks of any surgery invoving eyelids if fat is resected loss of vision, changes in vision, double vision, excess or inadequate tearing, chemosis (inflammation of conjuctiva) The vision chan more

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Raghu Athre, MD

Houston Facial Plastic Surgeon

Possible complications in upper eyelid surgery

Complications of upper eyelid surgery are typically straight forward and controllable. Bleeding is the most common and easily controlled problem. Not taking enough skin can be rectified with a revision. Excessive scarring is very unusual and manageable. Tearing problems are unusual but may indicate a dry eye problem. The cornea must be protected or a corneal abrasion may result. Best, Tal Raine MD

Talmage J. Raine, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Risks associated with upper eyelid surgery

Some of the risks associated with upper eyelid surgery are bleeding and infection, which are very rare. Risks of permanent blindness or double vision are exceedingly rare. Asymmetry is more common; this probably happens 3% to 5% of the time and is usually related to pre-existing asymmetry that has gone unnoticed by the patient until the procedure is performed.

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William Portuese, MD

Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

Many upper eyelid surgery risks which will be better defined in your consents

Whenever you have a procedure, such as a blepharoplasty (eyelift / eye lift / eye cosmetic surgery / eye plastic surgery / eyelid lift), from a legal standpoint they will list everything under the sun. The key is going to someone that has a low rate of complications. But briefly, eye damage, damage to organs, nerves, vessels, poor results, scarring, eyelid malformations, infection, bleeding, anesthesia risks are among the risks that most surgeons should have in their consents. 99.9% of... more

Philip Young, MD

Bellevue Facial Plastic Surgeon

Upper eyelid surgery risks

As with any surgery, routine risks include pain, infection, bleeding, need for further surgery, damage to adjacent structures, and recurrence of the upper eyelid skin excess. Specific to upper eyelid surgery, risks include damage to the underlying musculature, inability to close your eyes, and corneal abrasions. This list is by no means inclusive of all the risks, but highlights some of the main ones. Be sure to talk to your plastic surgeon about any specific risks that concern you. ... more

Jeffrey E. Schreiber, MD

Baltimore Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Risks of upper eyelid surgery (Blepharoplasty)

The risks of upper eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) are both cosmetic and functional. The most feared, and rarest of complications, involves a change in vision. More commonly seen complications involve dry eyes, inability to completely close eyes, asymmetry of scars, unfavorable scars (thickened scar), infection (extremely rare), and an unnatural appearance to the eye if too much skin/fat is removed. The best way to avoid complications is to identify patients who are at risk for developing... more

William Bruno, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Making the wrong diagnosis and doing the wrong surgery

Dr. Steinsapir's comments are germane. If you and your surgeon don't agree on the right diagnosis, you may get the wrong operation and be dissatisfied with the result. The eyebrow and upper lid are "neighbors" and so aging or sagging of one can be interpreted as dysfunction of the other. There are at least three procedures which can be offered, depending on what the anatomy provides: a) Upper eyelid lift: a small amount of skin is removed and the scar hidden in a natural fold;... more

Lavinia Chong, MD

Orange County Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Upper eyelid surgery

Upper eyelid surgery is a great way to improve the appearance of the eyes. Some of the risks can include bruising, unfavorable scarring, some numbness over the scar, asymmetry of the eyes, and infection to name a few.

Steven Wallach, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Upper eyelid surgery

Eyelid surgery has evolved considerably over the years. Incisions are so small that they leave no trace of a scar. If excess upper eyelid skin hooding the eye needs to be eliminated, an incision is made about ten millimeters above the eyelashes in the palpebral fold, the crease at the top of the lid, and excess skin and fat are removed. The incisions are closed and sutured on the underside of the skin. Since the skin around the eyes is delicate, an eyelid lift carries a greater risk of... more

Michelle Copeland, MD, DMD

New York Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Risks with upper eyelid surgery

As everyone has already stated, upper eyelid surgery is a relatively less risky procedure, as compared to other plastic surgery of the face and eyes. Many patients who have cosmetic eyelid surgery are happy with the results. Any cosmetic treatment has potential risks. Risks for upper eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) include but are not limited to the following: bleeding infection scar pain parasthesia / numbness nerve injury blood vessel injury wound dehiscence / opening fluid... more

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Houtan Chaboki, MD

Washington DC Facial Plastic Surgeon

Upper eyelid surgery and risks

In the appropriate patient the risks of upper eyelid surgery are very low. Almost all patients are happy and get a result they are pleased with. It may be done under local anesthesia, local with sedation, or when included with other procedures a light general anesthesia. All surgical procedures, carry general risks- of the anesthesia, bleeding, infection, poor scar, need for additional surgery and others. Specific risks of upper eyelid surgery include, asymmetry, incomplete closure, dryness... more

John E. Gross, MD

Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Risks of Upper Eyelid Blepharoplasty

The risk of upper eyelid blepharoplasty depends partly on the technique that is being used. In general with any surgery, the risk of bleeding and infection are always present. If only skin is removed the risk is minimal. The only potential risk using a skin only technique is if the surgeon takes too much skin which would result in an inability to close the eyes. This can result in problems with cornea protection and dry eye. If fat is removed in addition to skin, there is a greater risk for... more

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Amir M. Karam, MD

San Diego Facial Plastic Surgeon

Upper Eyelid Blepharoplasty Risks

Dryness of eyes, incomplete eye closure from excess skin removal, loss of vision from globe perforation or bleeding, asymmetry between eyes, loss of eyelashes, change in the shape of eyes, corneal abrasion or ulceration, suboptimal removal of skin and fat,. There can be other risks as well. Having said that the incidence of these risks is low and this surgery is effective and rewarding to the patient. Regards

Tanveer Janjua, MD

Bedminster Facial Plastic Surgeon

Upper Eyelid Surgery

There are always risks which included bleeding, infection, dry eye, death. Anesthesia risks ofcoarse. This is a straight forward procedure and is also pretty simple, but there are always risks involved when you undergo any surgical procedure. Good luck.

Farbod Esmailian, MD

Orange County Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Upper eyelid surgery risks

Hello Alexa I tell my Santa Rosa Blepharoplasty patients that the main risks are bleeding, possible dry eye, scarring and infection. Of course, the risks are small, but never zero. There is always a remote chance of injuring the structures of the eye including the cornea or eye muscles. Even blindness is a reported complication, but the great majority of blepharoplasties are done with minimal risks and with excellent cosmetic results.

Francisco Canales, MD

Santa Rosa Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Risks of Upper Blepharoplasty

Of upper and lower Blepharoplasty, the procedure on the upper eyelids has the fewest major risks. Probably the two greatest risks are recurrence of the problem and chemosis or dry eye. It is possible to remove too much skin and have the eyelid elevated. However, because of gravity, this is uncommon. Gravity can, however, when combined with the pull of the blepharoplasty, cause brow descent, returning extra tissue to the eyelid and depressing the arch of the brow. Chemosis (inflammation of... more

Robert T. Buchanan, MD

Highlands Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

General and local complications of upper eyelid surgery

Risks of upper blepharoplasty are divided in general and location specific risks: 1. General: bleeding, infection, injury to the area 2. Local: Asymmetry, post procedure ptosis (droopy eyes), scars. These are very rare complications and most are prevented by good surgical techniques. Hope that helps!

Hisham Seify, MD, PhD

Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Risks of upper eyelid surgery

All surgical procedures, including upper lid blepharoplasty may carry certain risks. Risks of any surgery include bleeding, infection, and scarring. Risks specific to eyelid surgery include dry eyes or changes in visual acuity, both of which are usually temporary. There is a very remote risk of loss of vision, but this is extremely rare. To prevent complications, it is important to undergo proper medical and opthalmologic evaluation prior to surgery. All medications and supplements that... more

Pamela B. Rosen, MD

Coral Springs Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Upper eyelid surgery is a relatively low risk procedure

Every surgical procedure has common potential risks including bleeding, infection, numbness and scarring. Fortunately, these are relatively rare with upper eyelid surgery. Excessive removal of skin can rarely lead to problems with full closure of the eye and protection of the eyeball.