What Does It Mean if Upper Eyelids Are Numb After Eyelid Surgery?

Because of swelling numbness of the eyelids after surgery is fairly common. This will improve with time.

       Numbness may resolve depending upon where you are in the recovery process.                            Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Numbness after eyelid surgery or any surgery for that matter is not unusual as the nerves become stretched and disturbed.  In general there is a redundancy of sensory nerves and over the first year after surgery most of the sensation will return.  

The numbness you feel after upper blepharoplasty is totally normal. After any surgical incision, no matter were it is, there will be various degrees of temporary numbness. Most often numbness goes away by 6 months, any remaining odd feelings around the incision may last longer but I have never seen this with either upper or lower eyelid surgery as these areas have multiple nerves providing sensation.

It is normal for the skin adjacent to recent surgery to be numb.   Nerve endings are bruised with the procedure.   It may take a few months for sensation to totally return. Good luck.  Donald R. Nunn MD  Atlanta Plastic Surgeon