Has my blepharoplasty gone wrong? I need a professional opinon. (Photo)

Question

I just had an blepharoplasty done yesterday. When I left the office, my eyes were already noticeably uneven and one of the top lids turned inside out. I am on day two and of course it;s still swollen and looks about the same. The doctor I am seeing for my service said he knew how to do blepharoplasty on asian eyes. I remember asking him in the operating room if he took off skin or fat, he did not. Please look at my picture and tell me if my procedure looks like it is done correctly.

James R. Gordon, MD, FACS, FAAO · Answer

Thank you for the question. Most patients are anxious for the first week following eyelid surgery, because bruising and swelling is often asymmetric. Give it a good 3 weeks before you start trying to judge the results. No oculoplastic surgeon can determine how the final outcome will appear at this point. I hope you find this helpful.

Amiya Prasad, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. I understand you had Asian eyelid surgery done one day ago, wherein no skin or fat was removed. However, you’re concerned about the swelling and appearance of your eyelids, and you’re wondering if your procedure went wrong.Just to tell you a bit about myself and my training, I’m a Board-certified cosmetic oculofacial plastic surgeon, practicing Manhattan and Long Island for over 20 years. Asian eyelid surgery is one of my specialties so I can certainly help you by giving you some perspective and guidance with what you’re going through now. Keep in mind, however, that with the absence of an actual physical assessment, and relying solely on photos, my opinion is still one that is limited by the information available.Based on your description, it sounds like you had non-incisional Asian blepharoplasty. The term “non-incisional” is slightly inaccurate because even though there is no removal of fat or skin, tiny openings are still created in the skin, through which a suture is passed. The suture engages the levator muscle, which in turn is responsible for lifting the eyelid and creating a crease.Looking at your photos, your creases seem very well-defined, so you had a non-incisional Asian blepharoplasty which resulted in a significant amount of swelling afterwards. It’s also important that you maintain a sense of connection with your doctor, because if you made the decisions to have this procedure done by your doctor, it seems a little bit premature to lose faith in less than 48 hours since you had the procedure. Keep in mind that regardless of how minimally invasive a procedure was done, and regardless of the methods employed such as local anaesthesia or LITE&trade; sedation, eyelid tissue is still very sensitive and delicate, and very prone to swelling especially in the first 48 hours after the surgery, which is the peak of the swelling. In your case, yes, the eyelid asymmetry, amount of swelling, and the inversion of the eyelashes is, in our practice, somewhat uncommon, but it does not automatically mean that your doctor performed the surgery incorrectly.I think it is also very important that you follow all post-op aftercare instructions as closely as possible. In our practice, we advise our patients to use cold compresses (20 minutes on, 20 minutes off) for the first two days, including the day of the surgery. We also advise them to move around and open and close their eyes to allow the fold to develop naturally. We’ve observed that patients who’ve had eyelid surgery, particularly Asian Eyelid surgery, tend to do what I call “splinting”, which means that they won’t open their eyes all the way because they’re afraid of damaging their eyes. I encourage you to open your eyes fully and look up from time to time.I recommend in the meantime to make a follow-up appointment with your doctor, and give time for the swelling to settle. The space between the eyelid margin and the crease has a tendency to swell quite a bit, especially in the beginning. Low grade swelling has been known to last for about 2-3 months, but in some rare cases, swelling can last for up to a year, so there’s certainly variability to this. However, as long as the swelling is going in the right direction and your eyes are slowly looking more aesthetically pleasing, then it should be alright. Try to have a conversation with your doctor about your procedure. Try to find out about the specifics of what your doctor did so that you can understand what you’re going through and to alleviate any worry or anxiety you may have over your situation.I hope that was helpful and I wish you the best of luck!This personalized video answer to your question is posted on RealSelf and on YouTube. To provide you with a personal and expert response, we use the image(s) you submitted on RealSelf in the video, but with respect to your privacy, we only show the body feature in question so you are not personally identifiable. If you prefer not to have your video question visible on YouTube, please contact us.

Colin Hong, MD · Answer

Hi there,It is too difficult to tell since there is still a lot of swelling in the early post-op period. In general, focus on wound care and not be too concerned about symmetry at this time. Otherwise, it will cause a lot of anxiety and effect you psychologically. You should have trust with your surgeon, who should have measured the crease pre and intraoperatively. You should discuss your concerns with your surgeon during your post-op appointment to relieve any anxiety you may have. Good luck. Dr. Hong

Suzanne Kim Doud Galli, MD, PhD, FACS · Answer

My patients are instructed not to look in the mirror all day in the immediate postoperative period. You just had surgery and you are not seeing your final result. Give yourself time to heal. Continue to follow your surgeon's postoperative instructions.

Has my blepharoplasty gone wrong? I need a professional opinon. (Photo)

Answers (4)

Answer: Asian blepharoplasty

Answer: Asian blepharoplasty

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Has my blepharoplasty gone wrong? I need a professional opinon. (Photo)

Answers (4)

Answer: Asian blepharoplasty

Answer: Asian blepharoplasty

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Everything you need to know about Double Eyelid Surgery

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.