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

asked 4 years ago by anon
Latest answer by Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS
Question viewed 5,456 times
Tags: recovery

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

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

+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

www.oculoplastic.info

+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
E. Ronald Finger, MD

Savannah Plastic Surgeon

www.fingerandassociates.com

+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

lvcosmeticsurgery.com

+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

www.drkaram.com

+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

innovationsfps.com

+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

www.seattlefacial.com

+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

Eyelid Function and recovery after Eyelid Surgery

Yes you should be able to close your eyes without difficulty blepharoplasty performed by a qualified Plastic or Oculoplastic surgeon. Swelling, discoloration, and some bruising is to be expected. It is not unusual to have some difficulty seeing during the first day or two after surgery because of the swelling and eye lubricants/ointment used during and after surgery. Patients vary a great deal in their recovery rate, but usually can resume normal light activity or work 3-4 days... more
Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS

Orange County Plastic Surgeon
+1

Safety of upper eyelid surgery

Properly performed upper eyelid surgery should cosmetically open your eyes, removing the tired appearance. However, you should absoluetely be able to close your eyes after upper eyelid surgery. It is important to seek a surgeon with experience in performing this surgery, see before and after photos of patients, and ask questions.
Sandy Sule, MD

Dallas Facial 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

www.josephtogbamd.com

+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

www.doctorenzer.com

+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

www.drmmacdonald.com

+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

www.sammamishfacial.com

+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

www.351face.com

+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

Skokie Oculoplastic Surgeon
+1

Closing eyelids after eyelid surgery

After upper eyelid blepharoplasty, it may be difficult for you to close your eyes fro a few days, but this should resolve on its own. Lower eyelid blepharoplasty usually does not cause problems with eyelid closure.
Olivia Hutchinson, MD

New York Plastic Surgeon
+1

Usual to have slight opening of eyelids for a 1-3 days

When you do upper eyelids, it is very normal to have 1-3mm of lagophthalmos (inability to close eyes all the way) for 1-3 days.  This goes away by itself.  If too much skin is resected, it can be permanent 
Raghu Athre, MD

Houston Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.athresurgical.com

+1

Lids closure following blepharoplasty

There is typically 1-2 mm of lagopthalmos following upper blepharoplasty surgery.  This will resolve as swelling subsides in a week or two.  Inability to completely close the eyes should not be a long term consequence of eyelid surgery.
Jason R. Hess, MD

San Diego Plastic Surgeon
+1

Eyelid surgery

Upper eyelid surgery can sometimes lead to difficulty closing the eye postoperatively.  However, this should be temporary and resolve within 2-3 weeks.  Keeping the eye moist with artificial tears and lube at night is important to avoid drying out the cornea. 
Etai Funk, MD

Houston Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

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

The goal of any blepharoplasty should be to improve the appearance of the eyes without any compromise to the eyelid function.  An expert eyelid surgeon should know how not to remove too much skin or muscle.  Therefore, the simple answer to your question is yes you should be able to close your eyes after blepharoplasty if done by a competent eyelid surgeon.  However, complications do occur rarely which theoreticall could result in poor eyelid closure. more
Sam Goldberger, MD

Beverly Hills Oculoplastic Surgeon

www.neweyelids.com

+1

Expect to close the eyes after a bleph.

Certainly you should be able to close your eyes after having a bleph, If not to much skin has been removed and in some cases skin may need to be put back.
Walter D. Gracia, MD

Arlington Plastic Surgeon
+1

Avoid aggressive blepharoplasty to retain normal eye closure!

When performing blepharoplasty on the upper eyelids, conservative skin marking should be performed to allow normal closure of the upper eyelids.  The decision to remove skin only, skin + muscle, skin + muscle + fat depends on many factors including age, ethnicity, and the degree of dermatochalasis and fat prolapse.  One shoe does not fit all.   For lower lid blepharoplasty, a conservative approach should also be taken to prevent the development of lower eyelid retraction... more
Bobby S. Korn, MD, PhD

San Diego Oculoplastic Surgeon
+1

Temporary incomplete eyelid closure can occur after blepharoplasty

It is not uncommon for there to be a small amount of temporary incomplete eyelid closure (also called lagophthalmos) after upper lid blepharoplasty. The incomplete closure is due to swelling in the area and typically resolves after a week or so. You can apply ice packs, as directed by your surgeon, to the area to help with bringing down the swelling during the first few days of recovery, but otherwise it's more of a matter of time. It is important to keep your eyes lubricated (using... more
Thomas A Lamperti, MD

Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Closing eyes after eyelid surgery

Lagophthalmos is the term for incomplete eyelid closure, which is not uncommon, temporarily, following eyelid surgery, particularly upper eyelid surgery, also known as blephaoplasty.  Often minor lapophthalmos will resolve as the swelling recedes in one weeks'  time following the procedure.  An experienced surgeon will check the integrity of the Bell's reflex before surgery to ensure that, even if the eyelids don't complete close in the days following surgery, the... more
Christopher J. Schaffer, MD

Birmingham Plastic Surgeon
+1

Closing the eyes after eyelid surgery

It is certainly critical that you be able to close your eyes completely following eyelid surgery, and because of this, I am very careful about the amount of skin that is removed so as not to create this problem.  Inability to close the eyes can result in dryness of the eye, which may require the use of lubricating eye drops.  It is not unusual, however, for this to occur on a temporary basis because of some post-surgical swelling that occurs.  In my experience, however, this... more
Ronald J. Edelson, MD

San Diego Plastic Surgeon
+1

Eyelid Surgery

The eyes are the windows to the soul. All too often, however, they seem to reveal exhaustion. The very delicate skin around the eyes tends to get crepey and puffy due to fatigue and stress. Eyelid surgery has become one of my most popular procedures. If excess upper eyelid skin is hooding the eye and needs to be eliminated, an incision is made in the crease at the top of the lid and excess fat and skin are removed. The incisions are closed and sutured on the underside of the skin. If... more
Michelle Copeland, MD, DMD

New York Plastic Surgeon
+1

Eyelid closure problems after surgery

Immediately after surgery patients commonly have problems closing their eyes. This is because of two reasons 1. The new eyelid skin has tightening things significantly 2. The anesthetic interferes with eyelid closure. However within the next 48 hours, eyelid closure should improve tremendously. Sometimes over the first month,patients can have temporary problems with eyelid closure and that usually resolves over the 1st month to two months. Eyelid closure problems after that are uncommon and... more
Chris Thiagarajah, MD

Washington DC Oculoplastic Surgeon
+1

Eye closure after Eyelid Surgery or Blepharoplasty

Most patients should be able to close their eyes after eyelid surgery. Occasionally the eyes may be slightly open immediate after surgery due to some swelling, but this resolves in the coming week. During this time it is important that you eyes do not dry out. Often, patients can benefit from eyedrops to help them through the healing stages after eyelid surgery.  The key to achieving safe and exceptional results of eyelid surgery is careful planning of your surgery. Careful... more
Ankit Desai, MD

Jacksonville Plastic Surgeon
+1

Ability to close your eyes after eyelid surgery

The patient's ability to close  eyes after eyelid surgery should not be compromised.  It can happen if too much skin is removed.  In my opinion it is not optimal to remove maximum available skin and fat during eyelid surgery.  The hollow and tight look of eyelids after surgery can result if the surgeon removes too much tissue, in mistaken belief that that's how a youthful look is achieved.  A talented and experience can create a natural and youthful look of... more
Boris M. Ackerman, MD

Newport Beach Plastic Surgeon

www.doctorackerman.com

+1

Closing your eyes after eyelid surgeries

Closing the lids after surgery is dependent on the amount of surgery performed, the amount of swelling and the amount of skin resected.  You may not be able to close them fully but as you try to close them the eye rotates back in your head and protects the cornea even if the lid remains slightly open.  This is usually a transient issue and resolves quickly in almost all cases. Best, Tal Raine MD
Talmage J. Raine, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon
+1

Temporarily complete closure may not occur

Typically, even with careful skin removal, during the early period of recovery with swelling, there is often "lagopthalmos" meaning the eleids do not meet completely.  This usually will resolve after a few weeks. During that time it is important to protect the cornea from drying due to exposure, using lubricant drops and/or eye ointment as well as eye muscle exercises, massage and occasionally temporary taping of the eyelids especially at night. Rarely, if too much... more
David J. Levens, MD

Coral Springs Plastic Surgeon
+1

Eyelid closure after blepharoplasty

As long as your surgeon doesn't remove too much skin, you will be able to close your eyes after blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery).  There may be some initial swelling for the first few days which makes complete eyelid closure difficult, but after that, you should have full eyelid closure.  You may need to use some eyedrops in the early post-operative recovery period to ensure that your eyes are kept moist if you are unable to fully close your eyes. Please consult with a board... more
William Bruno, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon
+1

Eyelid blepharoplasty surgery and eyelid closing

One of the most feared complications of upper and lower eyelid surgery is inability to close the upper eyelids adequately (called lagophthalmos) and lowering of the lower eyelid so eyelid closure is also impaired (called lower eyelid malposition).  Upper eyelid closure problems occur if too much skin is removed, if eyebrows are elevated too much at the same time as upper eyelid surgery, or both.  It is normal to have a small gap between the eyelids after surgery (1-2 mm), but this... more
Minas Constantinides, MD

Manhattan Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Sometimes after Eyelid Surgery it can be hard to close your eyes.

Sometimes after Eyelid Surgery / Eyelift / Blepharoplasty it can be hard to close your eyes. This can be due to the local anesthesia that can numb the muscles that close your eyes.  Also the swelling around the eyes can make it difficult to close the eyes depending on where the swelling is located. Oftentimes, you have eyelid skin that is taken with an eyelift / Blepharoplasty.  This decreased amount of skin will also lead to the decreased ability to close your eyes right after the... more
Philip Young, MD

Bellevue Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Closing eyes after eyelid surgery

You should definitely be able to close your eyes after eyelid surgery. Immediately after surgery the eyes may not blink normally and the eyelids may not close fully.  This will depend on what type of eyelid surgery you have Ptosis repair (droopy eyelid) vs. Blepharoplasty (removal of extra skin) . Either way, this usually resolves within a day or two and the eyes should close fully without any problem.
David Freilich, MD

Englewood Oculoplastic Surgeon
+1

Absolutely!

Absolutely, you should have no difficulty closing your eyes following your upper eyelid surgery after the expected swelling resolves. Of course, this depends on the surgeon removing an appropriate amount of skin. An over zealous skin removal can result in an inability to close your eyes. If the correct measurements indicating the amount of skin to be removed are made this problem is totally avoidable.
David A. Ross, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon
+1

Closing eyes after eyelid surgery

You should definately be able to close your eyelids after eyelid surgery.  Right after surgery, you may have swelling that keeps your lids from fully closing or opening, but that should be gone within 7-10 days.  You are more likely to have swelling if you do both the upper and lower eyelids at the same time.  It is very common to do them at the same time, however.
Randy J. Buckspan, MD

Austin Plastic Surgeon
+1

Eye Closure After Upper Blepharoplasty

During upper eyelid surgery the surgeon walks a fine line between getting the best cosmetic result possible and avoiding post-operative dry eye.  The wonderful upper eyelid of youth is the result of having very springy, spandex like skin in your upper eyelid.  Eyelid surgery doesn't fix the eyelid by making it springy again, it does so by taking out extra skin, leaving behind less of the poorer quality skin and thus less of a flap.  Because of loss of that spring in your... more
Louis W. Apostolakis, MD

Austin Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.dr-apo.com

+1

Eye Closure After Blepharoplasty

You should definitely be able to close your eyes following a well performed blepharoplasty procedure. In most cases of blepharoplasty it matters more how much skin you leave behind rather than how much skin is actually removed. If a sufficient amount of skin is left intact after removing the excess, your eyelid should be able to cover the eye without problem. In some blepharoplasty patients who have inherently laxity of their eyelid skin, some surgeons will remove a little more skin than... more
John M. Hilinski, MD

San Diego Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Closing your eyes after eye surgery

   If you can't  that's a problem!! You should be able to close your eyes after a well performed eye surgery. You may have a temporary problem closing while you are recovering, but it should subside with time.  it is advisable to use artificial drops during that time until you recover. Good luck
Carlos Wolf, MD

Miami Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Closing eyes after eyelid surgery

During upper eyelid surgery the excess skin is removed. The goal is to remove the appropriate amount of exces skin and not to remove too much. If too much is removed, it is possible that you would not be able to close your eyes. Plastic surgeons do everything possible, mainly using good judgement, to avoid this outcome. In some situations, patients are swollen after surgery and this can impede complete closure of the eyelid. This resolves. Hope this helps.
Tracy Pfeifer, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon
+1

Expect eye closure after blepharoplasty

A correctly performed upper blepharoplasty should result in good eye closure. Not uncommonly, mild swelling will result in a small gap (1-2 mm), but this should resolve quickly. Permanent inability to close the eye is rare and a very serious complication. There are various methods to perform this surgery, most requiring estimating amount of skin to resect. My technique raises a meticulous flap which avoids the risk of lagophthalmos.
Corey S. Maas, MD

San Francisco Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Blepharoplasty and eye closure

If the blepharoplasty is performed correctly, you should be able to close your eyes. It is when too much skin is removed does it become difficult to close.
Steven Wallach, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon
+1

Blepheroplasty and closing the eyes

You would be able to close the eyes. If too much skin is taken then your eyes will not close and that is a major complication. The local anesthetic may affect the muscle some but you should be able to close the lids.
Samir Shureih, MD

Baltimore Plastic Surgeon
+1

Normally, eyes will be able to close post-eyelid surgery

It is a common perception that people are unable to close the eyes after eyelid surgery. Although this may be true temporarily in procedures such as ptosis surgery (drooping eyelid muscle) or when eyelid surgery is combined with significant eyebrow lifting surgery, it is normal for the eyes to be able to close comfortably. In my practice, I counsel my patients to expect that there will be no difficulty with eye closure after cosmetic eyelid surgery. Cosmetic eyelid surgery should restore... more
Amiya Prasad, MD

New York Oculoplastic Surgeon

www.prasadcosmeticsurgery.com

+1

Being able to close eyes after eyelid surgery

The local anesthesia will prevent normal eyelid closure during the surgery. That is whey I determine the amount of skin to be removed before the local anesthesia is given. one can determine that by pinching the upper eyelid skin with a fine forceps and marking the exact amount of skin that will be removed. Doing that will prevent over resection of skin and the patient is able to open and close the eyes in the recovery room prior to discharge. The other thing that could affect the eye closure... more
Farhad Rafizadeh, MD

Morristown Plastic Surgeon
+1

Eyelids remaining open after eyelid surgery a common concern

This is a common fear. Not being able to close your eyes after an eye lid surgery is a complication that arise from an overly aggressive skin removal. In a typical upper eye lid surgery for anti aging, the amount of skin removal is estimated by the surgeon. After the incision lines are drawn, the amount of skin removal need to be rechecked in order to ensure the skin being removed is not too much. If you choose an experienced surgeon, this complication should be almost a non-issue. more
Kun Kim, MD

Atlanta Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

With good technique, you can close your eyes easily after eyelid surgery.

Hi. Not being able to close your eyes after blepharoplasty is a very serious complication.  Good surgery prevents this by supporting the lower lids, and by not taking out too much skin.
George J. Beraka, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon
+1

Risk of eyelids not closing after blepharoplasty

It's not uncommon for the eyelids to gap open by a millimeter or so immediately after UPPER eyelid surgery (due to swelling and probably some cautery dehydration of the wound), but this should resolve within hours to a day or two. With LOWER eyelid surgery, this should never occur. If it does, immediate intervention is required. The risk of a permanent problem with eyelid closure may be higher if upper lid surgery is combined with a browlift (forehead lift) at the same time, which is why I... more
David C. Pearson, MD

Jacksonville Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

You will be able to close your eyes after conservative eyelid surgery

Even when a Blepharoplasty (eye lid lift) is done conservatively with care to make sure that NOT too much skin is removed to preclude the touching / meeting of the lids over the globe -- you may still have a temporary inability of closing your eyes completely (LAGOPHTHALMOS). This is usually due to temporary swelling and resolves rapidly. It will not get better though if too much skin was removed (greatly shortening one or both eyelids), there is a tethering of the muscles lifting the upper... more
Peter A. Aldea, MD

Memphis Plastic Surgeon
+1

Eyelid closure after blepharoplasty is essential and not optional.

One of the functions of the eyelids is to protect the globe (eyeball), which isn't possible if the eyelids do not conform well. Inadequate closure of the eyes, lagophthalmos can occur because of a genetically over prominent eye, trauma, including cosmetic surgery, strokes or Bell's palsy and just as a consequence of aging with its attendant loss of elasticity. Experienced PS who maintain an active practice with eyelid surgery will ensure that you have good lid closure on the OR table,... more
Lavinia Chong, MD

Orange County Plastic Surgeon
+1

You will be able to close eyelids after a proper blepharoplasty

Eye closure after blepharoplasty should be normal. If aggresive skin resection is done on the upper eyelids the upper eyelid function may be disturbed for a week or so but should return to normal. That is why you are given moisturizing ointment to place on the eyes during recovery. If too much skin is removed from the upper eyelid it is possible that eyelid closure can be interfered with--this is a very rare and unexpected event and is avpoidable by good surgical technique. If this does... more
Brooke R. Seckel, MD

Boston Plastic Surgeon

www.drseckel.com

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Eyelid Surgery Risks

Eyelid surgery requires expertise in order to obtain natural results with minimal risk of complications. In most cases, patients are able to completely close their eyes after blepharoplasty surgery. If you are unable to, contact your surgeon in the early postoperative setting and discuss options to protect your cornea until the swelling subsides.
Raffy Karamanoukian, MD

Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon
+1

Eyes will close after Eyelid surgery

Although there can be swelling immediately after, the eyes make temporarily not close at night.There is an ointment to put in your eyes at night to keep them moist. Thereafter, your eyes should close normally.
Barry E. DiBernardo, MD

Montclair Plastic Surgeon
+1

Eye lid surgery should not result in the inability to close your eyes

You should be able to close your eyelids after eye lid surgery. There are 4 potential causes for this to happen: Too much upper eye lid skin has been removed. Brows lifted too high during a brow lift. Too much lower eyelid skin removed causing the lower lids to bow Initial post operative swelling which once it resolves will allow for normal eyelid closure. Good luck.
Ran Y. Rubinstein, MD

Manhattan Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Better to Under- Than Over do Upper Eyelid Surgery

Tear production diminishes naturally as we age. The function of the eyelids, in addition to protecting the cornea, is to help spread the tear film over the eye and prevent exposure problems. Therefore, over-excision of skin in a patient with mild dry eyes will lead to major league dry eyes. The good news: it is a very avoidable problem. My preoperative discussion of upper lid Blepharoplasty always begins with the possibility of incomplete eyelid closure (lagophthalmos). However, proper... more
Stephen Prendiville, MD

Fort Myers Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.drprendiville.com

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Eyelid closure after upper blepharoplasty

It is vital that you be able to close and protect your eyes after an upper lid blepharoplasty. I personally lift the skin of the lid, do any underneath work needed and then drape the skin over the incision with the eyelid closed to be sure I am never taking more skin than I should. This is even more accurate, I believe, than the estimations many surgeons make at the beginning of surgery as to how much extra skin you have.
Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS

Seattle Plastic Surgeon
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Eyelid closure after eyelid surgery is an important consideration

Eyelid closure after eyelid surgery is an important consideration. When removing excessive upper eyelid skin and/or fat from the upper eyelid areas, it is important that your surgeon not remove too much skin or this can affect your ability to close your eyelids resulting in chronically dry eyes. This can be avoided by minimizing the amount of skin that is removed and making sure that you can still close your eyes when your physician performs the measurement for the skin removal. If you... more
Scott Trimas, MD

Jacksonville Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Yes

Temporary dysfunction of the orbicularis muscle (closes the eye) is occasionally seen with eyelid surgery.  If too much skin were resected from the upper lids, a permanent inability to close the eyelids could result but this is highly unlikely if the surgery is performed by someone properly trained.
Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD

Atlanta Plastic Surgeon
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Do eyelids stay open after eye surgery

Following eyelid surgery. normally the eyelids should close completely when the procedure is finished.  The most common reason that they will not close following is due to too much skin has been removed from the upper eyelid.  The second most common reason is that there may abnormal swelling or bleeding under the upper eyelid skin which should recede in a few weeks following surgery.  If the inability to close the upper eyelid persists more than 3 to 4 weeks, an... more
Gary H. Manchester, MD

San Diego Plastic Surgeon

www.manchesterclinic.com

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