Incision opened partially on upper eyelid blepharoplasty after suture removal. Will this leave a permanent scar? (Photo)

Hello and thank you for your question. Although small areas of dehiscence (incision opening up) are not uncommon after upper blepharoplasty, it can definitely be concerning for patients who want to do whatever they can to make sure their incisions heal well. For most cases, the incision need not be sutured closed as this is an area where healing by secondary intention (i.e. doing nothing surgically, just ointment) generally results in cosmetically acceptable results. In some cases, re-suturing the incision may be indicated. I would follow the guidance of your surgeon who has had the opportunity to evaluate you and make a plan based on his/her clinical judgment. I hope that helps.

This is a fairly minimal wound healing problem that may leave a little wider scar that could be easily corrected with a scar revision. Try to relax and be patient, I think you will have a nice result.  Good luck, Jane.

The wound dehiscence is a common issue that can develope after blepharoplasty and in and of itself does not reflect on the surgeon.  These heal remarkably well and in many years of doing this, I have never seen one that actually required a revisional surgery.  It is more that they delay your ultimate healing by a week or two.  On the other hand, this blepharoplasty incision should tuck into the upper eyelid crease. You can see that this is not happening in your eyelid.  That means that the surgeon has placed the incision at a less than ideal height.  The eyelid needs to heal but the result may be less than ideal.  That ultimately would have to do with the design of the blepharoplasty rather than the wound dehiscence you are experiencing at the moment.

No, I do not think you need to be concerned. This is actually a fairly common complication, if I would even describe it as a complication. It most likely will heal without needing any surgical intervention. If by chance either side ends up having a slightly wide scar, the revision could easily be done once healed with most likely a much easier recovery. Please try to relax and enjoy your downtime during your recovery. Best of luck!

Thank you for the question.  Sorry for the difficulties. 
 First of all, I think the results that you got from the eyelid surgery are very good. Most plastic surgeons will take the sutures out from eyelid surgery between 6 to 10 days. If the sutures stay longer than that, the patient can get scars from the suture at the entrance and exit points of the suture.  That scar can leave small dots on either side of the incision and can be difficult to correct with a scar revision. That is why plastic surgeons try to remove the sutures in a timely fashion. Since the eyelid has active muscles, the incision can separate after the sutures are removed.
 I agree with your surgeon that the incision should close without a scar. The face heals very quickly an I expect the incision to be closed in a week or two. However, if you do end up getting a scar, a simple scar revision could be performed in the office under local anesthesia. Either way, you will get an excellent result. The good thing about eyelid scars is that they are hidden in the natural eyelid crease.  More than likely, you will not be able to see the scar in 1 to 2 months. 
Finally, this is not an infection. Keep the incision clean and dry and it should heal without difficulties. Hang in there and good luck.

Thank you for your question.  Every eyelid surgeon has experienced broken sutures and/or open wounds after suture removal. In certain situations, the open incision may come together.  If that does not appear to be the case after close examination of the wound, it can be re-sutured.  Best wishes.  

Thanks for the great question and I'm sorry this happened to you. You may have a slightly wider scar in the area which opened, but it most likely will not even be noticeable. If it is wider than the other parts, it can easily be revised in the office with a much quicker recovery time. Best of luck and congratulations on your surgery!~Dr. Sieber