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Will I Be Able to Close my Eyes After Eyelid Surgery?

does the eyelid surgery leave the lids pulled open more so, causing difficulty to close them?

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+1

Eye closure after blepharoplasty

The eyelids are very delicate. If the blepharoplasty procedure is performed correctly you should have no problems with your blinking or eyelid closure. A major part of my practice is revisional surgery (correcting previous bad surgery) and I see inexperienced doctors taking too much skin which leads to eyelid closure problems.
Kami K. Parsa, MD
Los Angeles Oculoplastic Surgeon
+6

Eyelid Surgery

If eyelid surgery is performed by a qualified surgeon and is a good technician your eyes should properly after surgery without any difficulty. If you are having difficulty closing your eyes visit your surgeon, so that he can help you prevent dry eye syndrome.
David Alessi, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon
+4

Will I Be Able to Close my Eyes After Eyelid Surgery?

With an upper eyelid lift, the short answer is yes. However, immediately after surgery there is swelling and sutures which may make it more difficult to close the eyes. Once the sutures are out at 4-5 days much of the swelling will have diminished. There still may be some tightness at this time, but this should go away and you will have no difficulty closing your eyes. It is important to use lubricant drops in your eyes during this time, which your plastic surgeon will suggest. If... more
Ronald Finger, MD
Savannah Plastic Surgeon
+4

Open eyes after eyelid surgery

It can be common for a few days after an upper lid blepharoplasty, for the eyelid to not totally close when lying down. This is usually due to swelling and gets better in time. The eyelids are very thin and even a small amount of surgery can cause things such as this. During that time period, saline eye drops are sometimes used to keep the eyes moist, but in the vast majority of cases, the swelling goes down in a week or two and the eyes close much more easily.
Julio Garcia, MD
Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon
+4

Eyelids should be able to close after eyelid surgery

The eyelids are important structures for protecting the cornea. Eyelids should be able to close completely after eyelid surgery. However, for a short time after surgery, due to swelling, it may be conceivable that they do not completely close for a short time, no more than a couple of days. If they do not, still do not close, then you need to see your surgeon and corrective surgery may be needed.
James Tang, MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon
+4

Eye closure after blepharoplasty

Typically, a small amount of gap is normal after Blepharoplasty.  This is temporary and related to swelling.  If it does exist it resolves between 1-3 weeks.  During that period of time, make sure your eye is well moisturized with lubricating drops and ointment to protect your cornea. 
Amir M. Karam, MD
San Diego Facial Plastic Surgeon
+3

Closing Eyelids After Surgery

Care is taken to remove the right amount of skin to avoid problems with closing the eyelids after surgery. Still, it is common to have incomplete eyelid closure in the first week or so due to swelling of the eyelids.  During that time, it is important to use drops to prevent excessive dryness of the eyes (especially at night!).
Paul C. Zwiebel, MD
Denver Plastic Surgeon
+3

Inability to fully close upper eyelids after surgery is expected

Inability to fully close upper eyelid after surgery, or lagopthalmous, is very common and is usually caused by swelling. During this period it is very important to protect your eyes by keeping your cornea from getting dry during the day, and at sleep. I encourage my patients to use oientments and patches during sleep, and to moisterize their eyes during the day with over the counter drops. close follow-up is necessary to make sure that patient is not getting dry eye or corneal irritation. more
S. Sean Younai, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon
+3

Close your eyes after surgery

You should be able to close your eyes after surgery with no effort. In some cases the swelling will prevent you from closing your eyes adequately for a couple of days, this should subside as soon as the swelling decreases.
Gustavo A. Diaz, MD
Charlotte Facial Plastic Surgeon
+3

One of the major concerns after eyelid surgery is always...

One of the major concerns after eyelid surgery is always can I close my eyes? Generally immediately after eyelid surgery and for several days afterward there may be some difficulty closing the eyes which will generally resolve. This is usually due to disturbance of the muscle that usually closes the eye which resolves with natural healing. With upper eyelid surgery, permanent inability to close the eye is usually due to removal of too much upper eyelid skin. This is easily avoided by... more
D.J. Verret, MD
Dallas Facial Plastic Surgeon
+3

One of the other concerns that some patients have...

One of the other concerns that some patients have expressed is they want to make sure they can close their eyelids after the surgery and I reassure them that that does happen. Some patients who have dry eyes are also concerned about how that will affect their surgery, and a blepharoplasty surgery can make dry eyes even drier than they currently are, and we are not quite sure of the mechanism of how that happens.
William Portuese, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon
+2

Can I close my eyes after eyelid surgery?

No, you will be able to open and close your eyelids after eyelid surgery. It may be slightly more difficult initially due to swelling of the eyelids but should not prevent you from being able to fully open or close your eyes.
Robert Heck, MD
Columbus Plastic Surgeon
+2

Difficulty closing eyelids after blepharoplasty

It isn't all that unusual to have some slight difficulty in completely closing the eyes during the initial phase of healing because the eyelids are swollen. Gradually, this should settle down and you should be able to close them completely. This is why it is important to have surgery performed by a skilled plastic surgeon or oculoplastic surgeon who can appreciate the right amount of skin to resect during the operation. You may want to try a soft sleep mask to cover your... more
Robert L. Kraft, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon
+1

Closing eyes after eyelid surgery

After upper eyelid surgery, it is not unusual to have difficulty approximating the eyelids for the first few days because of the swelling associated with the procedure. It is important to keep your eyes moist during this period with appropriate eye lubricants. For lower eyelid procedures, it is uncommon to have this problem unless there is laxity of the lid. Most surgeons perform ancillary procedures to tighten the lower lids when a patient is at greater risk. more
Joseph N. Togba, MD
Oakland Plastic Surgeon
+1

Due to the swelling, initially they will be partially open

You will be able to close your eyes, nonetheless, due to excessive swelling from the procedure your ability to fully close them may be prevented by the swelling. You will be able to fall asleep but someone else may notice your eyelids are partially opened. They can be gently closed with a clean hand, but the swelling should go away in a few days and then you should be able to close your eyes completely. It is important to use eye lubrication and follow up with your surgeon. more
Yael Halaas, MD
Manhattan Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Ability to close your eyes after eyelid surgery

The vast majority of the time patients do not have any trouble closing their eyelids after eyelid surgery. On some occasions swelling can make it difficult to fully close the eyelids. This condition, called lagophthalmos, will resolve once the swelling goes down. However, this can cause the eyes to become dry and irritated. Therefore, during this time I encourage my patients to keep their eyes moist during the day with over the counter eye drops and to use ointment in... more
M. Keith Hanna, MD
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon
+1

Will I be able to close my eyes after eyelid surgery

The answer is yes, if done correctly. Eyelid surgeons are trained to be very careful about how much skin is removed from the upper lids. If too much skin is removed from upper or lower eyelids, there can be very bad complications with your eyes. The eyelids will not blink correctly, and the surface of your eyes will dry out and be very painful. Correction of this problem may require skin grafting. Therefore I always tell patients that I will not remove every last... more
Yoash R. Enzer, MD
Providence Oculoplastic Surgeon
+1

Yes, you absolutely will be able to close your eyes after eyelid surgery

Absolutely! While you may have some early post-operative swelling that prevents you from fully closing your eyes for 1-2 days following the procedure, you should certainly be able to close your eyes completely thereafter. If you would like to be particularly aggressive with your eyelid surgery, there can occasionally be a fine line between taking just enough skin and too much. Nonetheless, you should always be able to close your eyes after eyelid surgery, in order to protect your eyes... more
Michael R. Macdonald, MD
Bay Area Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Eye closure after Blepharoplasty

Right after undergoing a Blepharoplasty your eyes should stay open by about 1 to 2mm upon closing your eyes. . if not, not enough skin was removed. DON'T force them to close them shut! That opening should last up to 2 weeks and will resolve. 
Henri P. Gaboriau, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Yes, eyelids will close after surgery. Be patient.

It is very common for the eyelids to not be able to fully close for 1 - 7 days after upper eyelid surgery.  The lids may gap about 1 -2 mm.  This is due to swelling and decresed strength of the muscles.  As the tissues heal and relax the lids will come together.  During this time some eyedrops or ointments will keep the eyes comfortable.  If the lids do not fully close, too much upper lid skin was removed.  This should easily be avoided by careful... more
Jeffrey M. Darrow, MD
Boston Plastic Surgeon
+1

"Eyes wide-shut," Eyelids should close after eyelid surgery.

Immediately after upper or lower eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty), the eyes may have difficulty closing for a few days. This is due to swelling, anesthesia, and decreased eyelid muscle stregnth (orbicularis muscle) right after surgery. However, once these all settle down (few days to a week) the eyes should be able to close without difficulty. Over aggressive surgery (removal of too much skin) can cause long term problems of eyelid closure leading to dry eyes, eye pain, and ocular... more
Carlo Rob Bernardino, MD
Monterey Oculoplastic Surgeon
+1

Yes you will!!

Hello and thanks for your question.  Anxiety about eyelid surgery is very common.  You want to make sure that your surgeon is experienced in cosmetic eyelid surgery.  More importantly, you want to make sure that your surgeon knows how to fix a problem after it occurs.  It takes careful preoperative planning and accurate measurements to safely perform eyelid surgery and avoid complications.  Just ask your surgeon lots of questions and make sure you are comfortable... more
Manish H. Shah, MD
Denver Plastic Surgeon
+1

Preventing removing too much skin in eyelid surgery

The last thing one wants when undergoing a cosmetic procedure is to end up with a complication.  In upper eyelid surgery, removing too much skin that results in the inability to fully close the eye should be avoided at all costs.  I use a "pinch" technique to aid in marking the excess skin that determines the amount of skin that can be safely removed. If you are unable to close the eye fully after surgery it is usually temporary.  If it does not resolve then... more
Michael Baroody, MD
Danbury Plastic Surgeon
+1

Closing you eyes after eyelid surgery, upper blepharoplasty

Firt of all, an upper blepharoplasty, is, in my opine one of the best treatments to help you look more refreshed. I tell patients that if you are over the age of 30 and are looking to rejuvenate your face, then focus on the eye region and skin. The upper Blepharoplasty take only 15-20 minutes and is performed under local anesthesia. It is marvelous! There is s single suture that is used to close the incision and this is removed at 5-6 days postoperatively. There is no pain. The eyelid... more
Jon E. Mendelsohn, MD
Cincinnati Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

EYELID CLOSING AFTER EYELID SURGERY

In most instances the inability to close the eyes (lagophthalmos) after eyelid surgery is temporary although in some instances this may be permanent. The risk of lagophthalmos becoming permanent is dependent on the type of upper eyelid surgery, blepharoplasty (removal of excess skin, a lid lift) or blepharoptosis repair (elevation of a droopy eyelid). The risk is usually greater when a droopy eyelid is elevated because the space between the upper and lower eyelid is increased... more
Adam J. Cohen, MD
Chicago Oculoplastic Surgeon
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