Swelling or Malar Bags/Festoons? (Photo)

Thank you for your question.  Without more information about the details of the procedure performed and preoperative photographs it is difficult to answer your question.  I recommend discussing further with your surgeon.  If you choose to see another physician, they will most likely want to see your preoperative photographs and operative notes.  Best of luck.

By the looks of your photo, I'm guessing that you have a little bit of residual swelling that will improve over the next month or two. I would call this "malar edema" but that only means cheek swelling. If you had the swelling before the surgery, then it might not get better. If you did not have malar edema before the surgery, it should resolve. I'd discuss your concerns with your surgeon.Andrew Campbell, M.D.Facial Plastic SpecialistQuintessa Aesthetic Centers

Thank you for your question. You are one month into a one year healing course. Your swelling can fluctuate over time. Keep up communication with your surgeon. At one year a final evaluation can be done and any revisions/additions discussed then.Best wishes.

This type of swelling can take several months to resolve.  When it does not resolve options include additional surgery or a chemical peel to tighten the relatively loose skin present in this area.

You are still very out from surgery. It takes 4-6 months for most of the swelling to subside.It not uncommon to get swelling in the malar fat pad from eyelid surgery. Sleep with your head elevated.

This is swelling in the malar fat pad.  When it is severe it is called a festoon.  It is common for people to have some swelling in this fat pad after a lower lid bleph.  IT can take a few months for this to resolve completely. 

Post-operative swelling after blepharoplasty surgery is highly variable and depends on a number of factors such as surgical technique, age, patient healing, whether steroids are given, how much bruising there is, and other factors.If you are only 1 month out from surgery, there is likely still edema (swelling) that still has to resolve and things will continue to improve over the next couple months.Malar bags or festoons would have been present before surgery and would have been visible before surgery (or exacerbated by post-operative swelling).  These can be treated surgically or with laser skin resurfacing.Best of luck in your post-op recovery.

Thank you for your question.The fullness of the tissues that is visible on your upper cheek/eyelid junction are known as malar fat pads.  Although I do not have a preoperative photograph of you to compare, these are most likely due to swelling from your recent surgery.Head elevation, cool compresses, massage, ultrasound therapy and avoidance of overhydration, which are usually recommended by your Plastic Surgeon, can help these resolve more rapidly. Good luck with the rest of your recovery!

These areas are Malar bags, a specialized tissue structure which is fibrofatty in nature.    They can be improved with Face lift but not removed.  Occasionally I have treated them with Steroid injections which are not always successful and can have some mild risks.  They can be camouflaged with volume fillers of the malar area.