“Bad Blepharoplasty Leads to Depression”

Hi, I am desperately looking for information about the results of bad blepharoplasty to see if what has happened to me has happened to someone else as well. I had an upper blepharoplasty on 7/31/07 and the results are devastating. I no longer look like me. I am devastated and depressed. I had big green eyes with a pretty shape -- and now my eyes are smaller and actually look masculine. The actual opening is smaller -- the surgeon completely stripped my eyes of orbital fat (which I didn't need removed), muscle (didn't need muscle removed either) and eyelid skin -- drastically changing the shape and size of my eyes. The thing that kills me is that I didn't need much of anything done at all. I only had a little excess eyelid skin --no bulging fat or anything; all Dr. {edited} had to do was remove a little skin. Instead, he made it so much more complicated and removed the foundation of the eyesocket and surrounding tissue -- and now I have been transformed into someone else. I do not look like myself and I am absolutely sick and heartbroken. I have seen a number of doctors -- all said they could put some fat back in where the eyes have been hollowed out -- but that's all. They would not be able to graph more eyelid skin -- and that is most likely what has dramatically changed the shape of my eyes. He removed so much that I barely have a crease --and the crease is located way up high looking extremely odd. On top of all this, both eyes have ptosis -- and cover a good portion of my irises. In stripping my eyes of their natural tissue and muscle, he took too much muscle and damaged other muscle. I now need Ptosis repair on both eyes. This is just the aesthetic portion of my problems. Every day my eyes ache, they are dry, gritty and uncomfortable all day long. Both lids lag when I move my eyes to an upward position. I cannot believe I have to live the rest of my life with this devastating result. The surgeon has been board certified for 35 years. One would think with his years of experience he would realize that the eyes are the most important feature of the face -- as the eyes is what people look at and how they communicate -- they are you. To not have the common sense to know that doing less is far better than doing too much is beyond my comprehension. He is absolutely incompetent. To all that read this, please go through detail with your surgeon -- tell them you rather have less done so that you don't lose your beautiful self.

Thank you very much -- I just joined. You do a tremendous service for people by having this informative site. Very well done. I very much look forward to feedback. Thanks again! Take care -- Marybeth

marybeth, i have the exact same problems with u, feeling the pain everyday, the masculine looking eyes, everything u are talking about i know and understand completely. and i have also been told by numerous surgeons that only thing they can do is put fillers or fat for the hollowness. i want a skin graft specialist to put skin where so much was taken out. my eye lids are so high up, i feel sick. it was too agressive, we both had agressive work done and now are suffering because of it for the rest of our lives. please email me, i will reply back with my phone number, i think we can find better solutions together. i wont give up hope, i miss my eyes too much and hate these weird eyes that do not belong to me. ~t

marybeth, my email address is {edited}, im 25 years old and had upper and lower bleph almost a yr and a half ago, which has aged me 15 years, my eyes are hollow, wrinkly and old looking, the eyelid crease also is very high and as urs, they are so high its not even around the eyes like they are supposed to be in normal eyes, my eyes cause me pain and discomfort everyday as well my eyebrows have fallen and are mismatched as well as my eyes. my eyes are so ugly and masculine, its horrible to feel like u arent urself anymore, the confidence u had u dont anymore, to feel like u look like a freak, to hate ur reflection and to want to not go out anymore. i know it and understand exactly how u feel, i live with this huge regret everyday allday. i hope u will email me. i think we can help eachother and exchange information about what could help and who could help, and knowing ur not alone in this struggle feeling mutilated, i understand. all my best. ~t Editor note: We do not allow email addresses to be posted. This protects you from spammers. Readers can click on your username to reach a private contact form

Wish I could turn back the clock to the eve of 2 weeks ago. I had upper and lower bleph am very upset with the results. No big asymetry disasters but I don't look like myself anymore and miss my beautiful, slightly wrinkled, slightly baggy eyes. (My S.O. isn't thrilled with the outcome,either.)Surgeons should make it a practice to request and study photos of their client's eyes as younger adults rather than do the same generic cut on everyone. I'm trying to be a big girl and learn from this, but frankly, I'm feeling very depressed and can't believe I've done this irreversible thing to myself. Wendy

i went into {edited} office 10 days ago for a left upper bleph revision. I don't no what i was thinking but i allowed him to persuade me in getting the lower bleph. I was told i had baggs like football players. I was also informed that i should heal within one week. I now am going into a stage of depression. My eyes are asymmetrical. Worst of all, i notice my lower right eye no longer have lashes. It is overlaped with the skin that was cut. This overlapping is also causing downward pulling in that eye. To where when i close my eye i can feel the top lashes touching the inside of my eye. I went to another doc for a second opinion today and was told i would have to see a specialist because of the pulling on my right eye. I still have swelling. What is this hollowness that everyone is talking about. Does this occur later on or can u tell this early. I am 30 yrs and the doc that i saw today told me i shouldn't need the lower bleph this early. I guess that's why im commenting on your story because your 25 years old. Not only do i have pulling in one eye, will i also have hollowness too. The last time i smiled was 10 days ago. I notice i excluded myself from everyone. I am very depress. Not only does this issue effects me tremendously but it's effecting my family. I hate to do this to everyone but i just can't help it. I scare myself just looking at a mirror. Editor note: If you would like to review your experience with a particular provider or clinic, please write your treatment review and enter the provider or clinic name in the field provided.

marybeth, I have the same problem and I'm looking for a solution for my eyes. I had upper bleph back in Jan 08. The doc was too aggressive, took too much fat out, creases way too high-especially in my left eye. I was expecting a subtle mprovement and he's ruined my life. I tried fat injections twice but didn't retain much of the fat. I'm scared to do the pearl or orbital fat grafting. I feel trapped and so regretful everyday. Please email me back. Thank you.

t, I too have hollowed out eyes from bad upper bleph surgery. My doc was too aggressive also and I'm soooo regretful. Too much fat removed, creases to high, I look weird, I feel sick about it everyday. I tried fat transfer procedures twice and may go for a 3rd. I don't seem to maintain much of the fat though so I'm searching for a more permanent solution, but I'm scared to do the incision approach. What stage are you at? and how about Marybeth? Any advice or lessons learned would be greatly appreciated. -L

Mary Beth, I am so sorry; I am going through the same thing. I do not look like myself anymore. I also have small little eyes with hardly any skin and fat. I avoid having pictures taken because I just can't look at them. I also have had to go on antidepressants. Instead of feeling great about eyes; I feel that I have butchered.

I too have a similar experience. I was 35 when i had my lower blepg done for slight puffiness. The results worren with age.I am turning 37 in January, but my eye area look like that of an elderly woman. I have terribly loose skin, hollowed eyes, sagging upper cheeks, wrinkles that I never had and a strange new look that is not youthful. This is a major regret that I cannot change. I have been looking for answers and may have found an anwwer. There is a doctor in Dallas Texas who sees patients from all over the country seeking to "restore their identity" from bad bleph. His name is Dr. Sam Lam He also has several consultation videos on line that express his philosophy on correcting the problems we are facing. There may be hope. I have no idea when I could see or how I will come up with the money (as I have already spent thousands) but it is on my list as a life must-do. I cannot live like this and dread the thought of what I will look like at 40or 50 since I have been butchered of my eye fat and muscle that God put their for a reason. This may be one of the biggest life lessons that I have ever experienced in search of beauty.

Hi Mary Beth,.. You're a very brave Woman for what you've gone through, it takes guts of steel to take the plunge to have an op above anything else, and now you have to live with a surgeons mistake. I had a breast lift and then had to have a further two ops with implants, 3 ops on my boobs and the result is still devastating, all because the doc got it wrong, infact it wasn't the Doc that got it wrong, it was the unfamiliar face that he let operate on me, that was not at my consultation, I think this is fraud, but anyway. I have just had upper eyelid too, I was hesitant and very paranoid after still having two very different boobs today. It's been 3 weeks, I would love to tell you that all is well but it is not. I'm replying to your message to ask you not to be too hard on your self, I know that you are going through turmoil at this moment and non acceptance of your self which anyone would in your shoes, but you are probably putting your self under juge pressure. I am just a little worried for your welfare, I know the extreme anxiety this causes as I am here too but I have to stop and think, hang on, I can still breathe and everything else is working, that's a relief. I know you'll do your best to correct this and who knows, this may take you onto a path that you didn't even think of, you may even thank this one day! (although I think at this moment you are cursing) There is a product oon the net called "skinderma" look it up, I don't know if it will help you but it is great for re generating the skin, getting rid of scars and nourishing the skin to grow new cells and it works in a matter of weeks. I've only just ordered a bottle so I don't wanna sell it you on false pretenses but if it says it does all that the web site states then it may be helpful for you. I am also going to have 6 Omnilux light therapy sessions on the ey lid too as this also does wonders. I know that I haven't helped you much with your quest to look better, I suppose the only advice i can give you which I'm sure you already know is: Look after the rest of you, accept what ever is at the moment and love what ever part of you you don't feel like loving even more than the rest of you, it is still you and I know we all pull our selves apart more than necessery, so what ever you see on your eyes at this moment, it is never as bad as you see it cos people look at the whole face, not the part that you pull apart, I know the eyes are the sould, but the personality is the spirit so please don't let anyone take that away from you too. take care.

Are you able to say where and who did your op...i have similar results and wondered if the same surgeon performed you op.

I so agree with you, wish I could turn back the clock to 2 wks ago today also. Very depressed over my upper/lower bleph and agree the physicians should spend more time studying your eyes and I also think it would of been helpful if I had not been totally sedated so I could of open and closed my eyes for them him judge. I still have excess skin under my eyes and my corners are so tight from the canthopexy that they are pulling a wrinkle under my eye and plus my left one is also worse with 2 unsightly bumps that I can't hide--I hate I did it.

I read recently that people with dry eyes should not get eyelid surgery. Also taking out too much skin from eyelids can lead to dry eyes. A doctor called Dr. Jonathan out of los angeles said this dry eye problem can be fixed with a piece of gold placed inside the eyelids, so your eyelids can be shut at night time. Check his article "Expert Repairs By Dr. Jonathan Hoenig. good luck.

i hear you. I'm a 44yr male recently divorced from a 21yr relationship. i was feeling insecure with some bags and hooding on the upper eyelids. so i had the surgery. i am so depressed. my nice wide old eyes are gone. i now have tiny round eyes and the lower left is drooping which will need another surgery. My 7yr daughter and 10yr old son say i look really weird. i'm now shopping for clear glasses with some tint on them to hide my eyes. this was the biggest mistake of my life. if anyone is thinking of doing this you will regret it. just look at some celeberties. just dont do it!!!!

Yes, it is a big mistake and with you always. Some of my friends had the surgery by a local MD, who unfortunately passed away some time ago. Buy he did beautiful work and you couldn't see a thing. My other aquaintance who bragged about her boss MD. was certainly clueless about the surgery and having worked for him for several years I trusted her. Now I see what a phony and still so many out there for us baby boomers to get taken for advantage. I am presently reading much good info on the web written by Dr. Frank Meronk - He must truly be an eyelid specialist and wish he could refer people to some he may have memtored in the past. I hope you find a good plastic surgeon who can fix your eye problems. Like mine where they took too much, I am hoping a little skin graft would solve the problem of the small eye because it is the way they pulled the skin that caused the eye to appear smalled. I hate to look in the mirror and the discomfort & skin Tightness is with me always and it has been over a year. God Bless.

i understand only too well.i had blepharoplasty and doc removed all natural fat and pulled the skin so tight i now have sore piggy eyes.thing is my eyes were my best feature.i only wanted the small bags taken away.its my worst nightmare and because of my depression i have lost my beautiful young girlfriend.my entire family are famous for their special eyes but i have lost all that.i am trying to find a doctor who can make my eyes closer to the way they were b4-larger&almondly, not pea size like now,but it is difficult and although i have now seen around 15 surgeons i am scared to trust.the good ones wont touch my eyes and the mouthy ones are scary.i used my eyes to get good sales,to find girlfriens,to make friends,now i find myself alone.this is terrible,what am i gonna do

It's so depressing. I don't know what to do. Well i do know what to do. Nothing. There's nothing i can do except live with it. I thought about suicide alot in the beginning but i'm past that now. I have two beautiful kids to raise so killing myself is not an option. I didn't do my research. Lower bleph will give you round eyes. It's that simple. I also have a drooping lower left eye lid. It's looks so bad. I cant push it up. It's like a rubber band pulled tight and it won't push up. I asked my doctor before the surgery will it be a subtle change or will i look really different? He said "well you won't look tired anymore! I'm so mad at myself. This is nobody's fault but my own. That being said, the doctors should tell you that your going to look really really different!! I have been shopping for glasses to hide my eyes and i think it will make me feel better like i do when i have my sunglasses on. If anyone has any words of wisdom about this please let me know. David

i know how you feel. if you want to talk here is my # 561.305.3193 David

I tooo have lost the beauty of my eyes and suffer bitter regrets and depression, but can we all try to SEE a brighter side of life. With "One Eye" on the future maybe we should alll meet together,perhaps on an "EYE-lAND", HAVE AN "EYE TO EYE",and get an"Eyeful"of each other.I know none of us will be bringing any "BAGS". I know we are all depressed but lets hope ther is a clever doctor out there somewhere who can fix. pls reply or email me David Valpaxxx

wow i feel the same, i dont go anywhere. i do the same wear shades rain or shine, killing your self is not an option, you are stronger than that. try fillers i did they really help. i look at my old picturs, and i look so much better before surgery. you think you're depressed, people are even calling me ugly to my face (strangers)i was never called ugly before this surgery. its my fault. fillers are all we have now..

Hello. I am struggling with upper/lower bleph EYE PAIN here 3 weeks post surgery. I have gone to eye doc and getting much treatment, but WOW pain is pain, not to mention assymetry and horrible, sick feeling in my gut, all day every day. I see that your piece was written 7 months post op. Did things ever improve? I hope and pray that they did, for your sake, and all the rest of us fools who were led like lambs to slaughter.

hi thanks for that post i have the same problem left with smaller masculin older looking and hollowed eyes had big brown ones that i never appreciated. now i have pain and nightmares cant move on in life till i fix this we just all want to look like our selfs again and learn from this lets hope there is a genious out there how can all these surgeons get it so wrong surely they realise you gona go through this but they dont care they heard the complaint plenty of times but they not scared too hard to sue them they know this too so instead of turning u down and explaining the negatives they would rather ruin peoples lives for a couple thousand dollars criminal hey make u so angry u dream u chopping hands off so distugsting somebody in the industry should speak up bout these issues. anyway theres hope yet i keep searching like yourself for replacing the skin fat tissue and muscle but no one will do it unless your eyelid is unfunctional good to hear there might be someone even if it means travelling to anther country. thanks again i feel for u i will look this surgeon up thers hope yeh