Eyelid surgery while I'm awake? (Photo)

Thank you for the question. Many patients become anxious when they hear that their surgery will be performed while awake. Fortunately, when the case is over they usually comment that it was "No big deal." There is typically no discomfort once local anesthesia is injected. Valium is often helpful at relaxing patients prior to receiving the local injections. Good luck.

Hello.  Thank you for your question.  Eyelid surgery can absolutely be performed under local anesthesia.  It is actually preferable to have the patient be able to open and close the eyes, as needed, to assess symmetry.  It only takes about 30 seconds to anesthetize each eyelid for the procedure.  I usually recommend some light relaxing medication by mouth prior to the procedure to "calm the nerves".   I have performed thousands of eyelid procedures under local anesthesia.  In my opinion, it is the way to go.  I feel general anesthesia is an unnecessary risk and expense for these kinds of procedures.  I hope this information is helpful.

Almost any eyelid surgery can be performed under local anesthesia. In fact, it is a great way to perform eyelid surgery since the patient can open and close his/her eyes during surgery (as instructed) to provide best symmetric results.

Good morning!Upper eyelid surgery can and is done quite frequently while awake- ptosis surgery in particular is actually better when awake- it allow the surgeon to have you open your eyes and be sure the amount of lid elevation is symmetricI hope this helps

For ptosis repair, we like our patients to be awake. During the surgery we ask the patient to open their eyes and make sure that the eyelids are symmetrical and at the same level. 

Yes eyelid surgery can be done awake. It all depends on the comfort and preference of your surgeon. I perform all my facial surgery without general anesthesia, making it safer and allowing a more comfortable recovery for my patients. 

Thank you for asking.Eyelid surgery or upper lid blepheroplasty can easily be done under local anesthesia.  As a matter of fact I perform this operation under local anesthesia all the time.  It is my preference when I am doing a blepheroplasty in conjunction with ptosis muscle repair.Make sure you are consulting with a Board Certifyed Plastic Surgeon for this type of procedure.Best Regards.Nagi T. Ayoub MD, FACS

Your surgery can certainly be performed while awake. As a matter of fact, many surgeons (myself included) prefer to have you awake to help gauge the effectiveness and symmetry of your ptosis correction. You may almost certainly benefit from some sedation during the procedure, but the procedure can certainly be done safely with you being conscious and cooperative. Please discuss further with your board certified surgeon, preferably someone who has extensive experience with eyelid surgeries. 

I prefer to  do this kind of surgery with the patient "awake".  After a little sedation, the numbing medicine is used and most patients don't remember a thing.  They are able to cooperate with eyelid movement so that the lid level can be more accurately positioned during the ptosis correction.  Recovery is also easier by avoiding general anesthesia.

Oculoplastic surgeons generally perform most adult blepharoplasty and ptosis surgery while the patient is awake. Often oral sedation is used. In fact, an awake patient increased the chance of ptosis surgery success because of the opportunity to adjust eyelid height with patient cooperation. I have personally performed over 10,000 eyelid surgeries on awake patients. Hope this is helpful and reassuring. Vikram Durairaj, MD