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.

Yes, upper eyelid surgery can be performed under local anesthesia while you're awake. A small amount of oral sedation can be very helpful to ease your nerves. However, after injecting the local anesthetic which takes only a couple of minutes you should feel no discomfort at all. I hope this information is helpful for you.Stephen Weber MD, FACSDenver Facial Plastic Surgeon