I am about to have lower transconjuctival Blepharoplasty with fat removal. My surgeon recommends that tight compresses should be used for at least 12 hours post-op. I have read a medical paper that recommends no pressure dressings as they increase intraorbital pressure and prevent early detection of bleeding. Any views on this? Feeling quite anxious about the surgery! Annabel
August 28, 2012
Answer: I have a difference of opinion
Having read my well-trained and experienced colleagues comments, I agree with the basics of what they have said. However, I suspect that what your surgeon may have proposed, and what I frequently do myself, is to place a moist cotton dental roll on the lower eyelids with a horizontal piece of paper tape to hold it for about 24 hours.
This provides a minimal amount of pressure and seems to decrease the amount of bruising. The incision with a transconjunctival lower eyelid blepharoplasty is typically not closed, so bleeding, should it occur, would still leak out of the open incision. My suggestion is that you speak with your surgeon to further clarify the issue.
Helpful
August 28, 2012
Answer: I have a difference of opinion
Having read my well-trained and experienced colleagues comments, I agree with the basics of what they have said. However, I suspect that what your surgeon may have proposed, and what I frequently do myself, is to place a moist cotton dental roll on the lower eyelids with a horizontal piece of paper tape to hold it for about 24 hours.
This provides a minimal amount of pressure and seems to decrease the amount of bruising. The incision with a transconjunctival lower eyelid blepharoplasty is typically not closed, so bleeding, should it occur, would still leak out of the open incision. My suggestion is that you speak with your surgeon to further clarify the issue.
Helpful
May 6, 2009
Answer: Please cancel your surgery and find a surgeon who makes sense! Dear Annabel There is absolutely no reason to patch the eyes after blepharoplasty. Patching will not prevent orbital bleeding after eyelid surgery but it will make it more likely that you can go blind if your suffer bleeding following surgery. A very important sign that prompts immediate post operative re-assessment by the surgeon is loss of vision after surgery. If your eyes are patched after you cosmetic eyelid surgery, you will never know if there is a problem with the vision. I should stress that we are talking about rare events. So it is possible that your surgeon has gotten away with a bad habit simply because he has yet to experience an orbital hemorrhage after surgery. However, this is such a profound departure from what reasonable surgeons do I would strongly recommend that you find another surgeon. This is a red flag.
Helpful
May 6, 2009
Answer: Please cancel your surgery and find a surgeon who makes sense! Dear Annabel There is absolutely no reason to patch the eyes after blepharoplasty. Patching will not prevent orbital bleeding after eyelid surgery but it will make it more likely that you can go blind if your suffer bleeding following surgery. A very important sign that prompts immediate post operative re-assessment by the surgeon is loss of vision after surgery. If your eyes are patched after you cosmetic eyelid surgery, you will never know if there is a problem with the vision. I should stress that we are talking about rare events. So it is possible that your surgeon has gotten away with a bad habit simply because he has yet to experience an orbital hemorrhage after surgery. However, this is such a profound departure from what reasonable surgeons do I would strongly recommend that you find another surgeon. This is a red flag.
Helpful