Should blepharoplasty stitches be removed earlier than 13 days to minimize scarring?

I regularly perform both upper and lower eyelid surgery for patients. With modern eyelid surgery there is no tension in the skin closure whatsoever, therefore any non absorbing skin sutures can and should be removed early – usually from 4 to 6 days after surgery. Sometimes we may remove sutures over a few days, dependent on a person’s healing characteristics. We schedule my patients for regular visits with myself and our practice Nurses in the first two weeks to check on their progress, help with aftercare, and answer any questions they may have about their recovery.

Hi @RennyS! I recommend removing the sutures 6-7 days post-op. I would confirm this with your surgeon. Best of luck, Dr. Nima!

I perform the majority of upper blepharoplasty surgeries under local anesthesia. I place deep sutures that dissolve under the skin. The outside skin suture is removed 3-5 days after the surgery. There is variation with most patients when to remove the skin suture.This is discussed with your board certified plastic surgeon.

After eyelid surgery, I remove the sutures after 3 days.  If the sutures are left longer, very often the skin grows into the suture track and form a fistula and gives the appearance of a "railroad track", which can be difficult to remove.
In a number of patients who have more than average amount of swelling, I may postpone the suture removal until 5-6 days, but never longer than that.

That means that your surgeon is laboring under the mistaken belief that the absorbable sutures will breakdown on their own. The do but not fast enough. Removing these sutures on day 4 is generally much too early. If your surgeon is using a CO2 laser for the skin incision, the laser injures the skin adjacent to the skin and requires extended healing. Removing sutures before about 10 days can result in a wound dehiscence. That is generally why most serious eyelid surgeons have abandoned the use of the laser as an incisional instrument. I think all details matter. If you surgeon has this wrong, what else do they do that is not idea? You are entitled to answers before having surgery. Do be steam rolled by a bad office. Save yourself from botched surgery.

Thirteen days is longer than average. If your doctor has used a gentle subcuticular closure with the stitches in the dermis as a pull thru stitch, you can leave them in a little longer (seven to ten days) without risking an incisional scar potential in my opinion. Talk to your doctor about your concerns. They should be able to reassure you about their approach and follow up, but the length of time is above average.

Should eyelid sutures be removed at 13 days post-operatively. In my opinion, absolutely! You must contact your plastic surgeon and ask about. that. Typically, sutures are removed at 4-5 days to prevent suture marks. This is standard.Thank you for your question, and best of luck to you.

For both an upper and a lower blepharoplasty, I use a 6-0 nylon suture and cover the sutures with steri-strips. After 5 days, I follow up with the patient and remove his or her sutures. This has been my standard and preferred practice. 

 In our practice, we use dissolvable stitches most of the time so that sutures do not have to be removed. They tend to dissolve about 7 to 10 days after the surgery.  Always best to check with your operative surgeon. 

I remove blepharoplasty sutures much sooner as the eyelid skin heals quickly. Leaving the  in for 13 days is a recipe for poor scarring.   Three to four days, depending on the specific circumstances, is the norm.