Thank you for your question. I understand you had Asian eyelid surgery with epicanthoplasty about three months ago. You describe that the healing process was going well, until you noticed the presence of a bump on your lower eyelid which you’re now concerned about.To first give you a little information about myself — I am a Board-certified cosmetic surgeon and a Fellowship-trained oculofacial plastic and reconstructive surgeon, practicing in Manhattan and Long Island for over 20 years. I was first trained in eye surgery, or ophthalmology, and then received advanced training in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the eyelids. Asian eyelid surgery is a big part of my practice so I am certainly quite familiar with it.Without a physical examination, my analysis of what is causing this bump is certainly limited, but I think it is possible that the surgery itself, the bump, and the red spot are not necessarily directly related to each other. The bump is located quite far away from the area where the incisions for upper eyelid surgery or epicanthoplasty are made, so it is unlikely that the bump is caused by a suture that remained are retained dissolving stitch, or something similar.I think you are most likely dealing with an area of inflammation at the base of an eyelash, related to a blockage of an oil gland called the gland of Zeis. It is possible that oil secretion and the process of exfoliation could be affecting the drainage of the gland, thus causing a blockage which leads to inflammation. This is referred to as hordeolum or external hordeolum, and more commonly known as a stye.The cause for this could be indirectly related to the surgery. If your eyes feel dry, or if you’re in an environment that causes your eyes to feel dry, the reaction of the gland is to secrete more tears and to generate more of the lipid or oil layer of the tear film. You want to diminish the stimulus for that production, and this means just lubricating the eyes with artificial tears. Another cause could be related to how some people continue to use antibiotic ointment long after the surgery, out of fear of potential infection. Sometimes, the vehicle for that antibiotic ointment (usually a petrolatum like Vaseline) can also block the glands of Zeis or the sweat glands.Treatment for this is very straightforward and conservative — warm compresses or antibiotics. The role of warm compresses is to basically soften the thicker oily secretions in the blocked gland so that they drain more easily. If this does not help, you should see an ophthalmologist and have them prescribe you some antibiotics.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.
