How Long Will I Be Swollen from Fat Grafting due to a Lower Blepharoplasty?

Question

I am a 42 year old male who recently had a Lower Blepharoplasty surgery with fat grafting to fill out the puffy outlines, this was done about 4 weeks ago now, all the face swelling has subsided almost completely but my eyes still look swollen and puffy around the lower eyes due to the fat still not softening and is still hard, is this normal at the 4 week mark? What is the average timeframe for the fat to soften and the swelling to subside? Thanks in Advance....Mike

John J. Martin, Jr., MD · Answer

It can take many weeks for the swelling to go down after fat transfer to lower lids.  This is frustrating for both patient and surgeon.  Try using some warm compresses and some light massage to decrease the swelling.

Hisham Seify, MD, PhD, FACS · Answer

If fat grafting is performed at the same time as a lower blepharoplasty, you can expect swelling for the initial 2-4 weeks after surgery.  However, with any fat grafting procedure, some percentage of the grafted fat is absorbed by the body, so the doctor will add more volume than needed to accommodate for the absorption.  The absorption of the extra fat usually takes about 6 months.

Curtis Perry, MD · Answer

With fat transfer alone swelling is mostly gone in 1 to 4 weeks depending on the individual and the extent of grafting. Simple lower lid blepahroplasty mostly gone in 1 to 3 weeks, Lower lid Blepharoplasty with orbital fat repositioning can have significant swelling for many weeks. Was the surgery trans-conjunctival or trans-cutaneous? Was orbital fat removed or skin or both. A lot of different things could have been done. So you may have more swelling than typical or you may be right on tract for what you had done. Before you do anything contact your surgeon.

Kristina Tansavatdi, MD · Answer

It is normal at 4 weeks to still have swollen puffy lower eyelids. All of the swelling can takes 6 weeks or more when fat grafting is combined with lower eyelid surgery. Manual lymphatic drainage can speed up the recovery by 2-3x. If there is concern with the swelling I would invest in a treatment series.

How Long Will I Be Swollen from Fat Grafting due to a Lower Blepharoplasty?

Answers (4)

Answer: Swelling after fat grafting and lower blepharoplasty

Answer: Swelling after fat grafting and lower blepharoplasty

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How Long Will I Be Swollen from Fat Grafting due to a Lower Blepharoplasty?

Answers (4)

Answer: Swelling after fat grafting and lower blepharoplasty

Answer: Swelling after fat grafting and lower blepharoplasty

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Eyelid Surgery

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