Can I Go Back to Work 4 Days After an Asian Upper Eyelid Surgery?

I usually advise my patients to plan to take one to two weeks off
from work and other such obligations following eyelid surgery depending on
their profession. At only 4 days after surgery you will have swelling present
and possibly bruising that may make your eyes more noticeable. Your surgeon
will provide you with more personalized instructions and will ultimately be the
one to give you the necessary clearance to return to work. Be cautious as to
not cause unnecessary strain on your recovering eyes. Among other restrictions,
this means no heavy lifting and taking regular breaks from sitting behind a
computer screen

Most of my patients look fine in 1-2 days after non-incisional double eyelid surgery.  However, your surgeon needs to select the best type of surgery, non-incisional or incisional, for your situation.  If you are just working in front of a computer and you do not care too much about what your coworkers think, then either approach would probably be fine for you to return to work.  After eyelid surgery, the eyes can fatigue easier than usual.  This may limit the amount of work you can do.

 

 

 

How the surgery is performed and what type of anesthesia is used will determine when you can be back at work.  If local anesthesia is used, your body will probably be fine to go back to work in 4 days, however you will likely still have some eyelid swelling and possibly some bruising depending on how it was performed.  Please consult with your board certified specialist to determine the expected postoperative care.

Morning Dai,

 

Typically you can return to work within 3 to 4 days.  HOWEVER, it is important to understand that whether you're having suture technique, partial incision, or full incision you will most likely still have some signs that you have had surgery such as swelling, occasionally bruising, or even visible sutures.  Some patients do experience some fatigue of their eyes after surgery that first week when reading or working at computer or even some dry eyes.  Best of luck

 

Chase Lay, MD

 

Dear dai1003,

Asian eyelid surgery (ie. Asian blepharoplasty, or Asian double eyelid procedure) creates a crease in the upper eyelid that enhances the overall shape and appearance of the eyes.

There are several techniques for performing Asian eyelid surgery, including non-incision, partial incision, and full incision methods. The non-incision and partial incision methods are associated with a quicker recovery, but I believe that they lead to shorter lasting and less natural appearing folds. For these reasons, I recommend a full incision technique to most patients.

After Asian eyelid surgery, there is bruising and swelling. Most of the bruising and swelling disappears over the course of a few weeks, although some patients may recover more quickly and others more slowly. The upper eyelid crease begins very high and takes a few months to settle down and look natural. Most patients return to work in 1-2 weeks. Returning to work earlier (eg. four days) is certainly possible if you are able to tolerate having heavy, swollen eyelids and possibly sutures in place. Wearing eyeglasses can help disguise your eyes until your recovery is complete.

Asian eyelid surgery is a very delicate procedure and requires special knowledge and expertise. Please see an experienced Board Certified surgeon for an evaluation.

Warmest wishes,

Larry Fan, MD

 

There are different methods for Asian eyelid surgery. If you have incisional technique, you will most likely have stitches in at Day 4. If you have the suture technique, you may be ready for the office. You should follow your surgeons pre-operative and post-operative instructions diligently. Most likely your surgeon will ask you to be off any blood thinning products before surgery and then ask you to take it easy and use cool compresses afterwards.  It is in your best interest to follow directions to maximize your healing.

Generally speaking, we recommend that our patients take 1 week off to
recover so that they heal properly. However, your surgeon will know best. It is very important to follow all of the surgeon's instructions.