Is 7 Days Too Early to Remove Stitches for Upper Blepharoplasty?

At my Austin, Texas area plastic surgery practice I typically remove upper eyelid sutures at about 5-7 days if I am not using resorbable sutures.  Having sutures in for 7 days in your case is fine and the lines will go away quickly after the sutures are removed.  The upper eyelid skin heals very well and typically scars are barely visible within 6 months.  Best of luck, Dr. Kerr

There is no absolute right answer to this question, and it also depends on the type of suture material your surgeon used. The average length of time would be between 4 and 7 days to remove sutures after upper blepharoplasty as the thin eyelid skin heals very quickly.

A variety of suture techniques are utilized to close blepharoplasty incisions. Depending upon the method used, suture removal varies from patient to patient.When non-absorbable sutures are used, they're generally removed between four and seven days following surgery. Some variation occurs because of the wound healing process.  It's important to remove sutures as soon as possible to avoid cross hatching scars. When this approach is taken, scars heal nicely and are often imperceptible.If you're concerned about scarring following blepharoplasty, it's important to talk to your plastic surgeon. Your surgeon should be able to address your concerns and alleviate your anxiety.

7 days sounds like a typical time frame. The most important thing to do is to follow your surgeon’s care instructions and make sure minimal tension is applied on the incision lines. That will help with the scarring.

Generally, any sutures that need to be removed are done so in about a week or less after surgery. Please follow your surgeon's post-surgery care instructions to reduce the rate of scarring.

Our office usually removes the sutures around day 7.  Each patient and surgeon is different. The suture material, technique, and tension on the individual wound may be very different.  He/she was there and will know best when to take them out.  Let him/her know your concerns.

Upper eyelid blepharoplasty incisions heal inconspicuously in nearly everyone. I typically remove sutures from the upper eyelid incisions around 5 days post-op. There should be no problem waiting till day-7 in most cases.

Dr. Joseph

  Goodness gracious! Yes, this a great forum to get your questions answered and lots of experts will respond.  But everyone has their own opinion.  If you trusted your doctor to do your surgery, I would recommend that you listen to your doctor (and no one else) when it comes time to determine when to remove the stitches.

Seven days is on the outside limits of acceptable time to remove eyelid sutures. Any later than that would potentially increase scar visibility and removal would be more uncomfortable as well.

Hi,

In my practice a sub cuticular stitch is used which at the end of the 5th day is simply pulled out. I like using this technique to minimize scarring. Not sure what your PS used, but I'm sure it will be alright. Address your concerns the next time you see him/her. Best wishes, Dr. H