Rubbing Eyelid to Fix Botched Blepharoplasty?

It sounds like you have ptosis (a lower lid) on one side after surgery.  If only blepharoplasty was performed this is unusual but does occur.  Eyelid massage can help a number if issue.  It's success depends on what is being treated and timing.  The ptosis can be mechanical (from swelling), neurogenic (from nerve injury), myogenic (from muscle trauma), or simply may have been present prior and not identified (if skin was droopy and covering lid).  I do not know if the latter was present.  I think an evaluation by an oculoplastic surgeon would help.  Good luck

There is a possibility that you may require additional surgery but I would follow those recommendations for the time being.  I would hold off any additional surgery at this point for at least 3-6 months until the swelling and healing has finalized. 

Dear JPriestly

Hard as it is to believe, lid message can help many issues.  It is best if it is done with close follow up by the operating surgeon.  Unfortunately, it does not fix all issues.  Things can happen during surgery that are not benefited by eyelid message.  At 6 weeks out, I would not expect too much from eyelid message.  The good news is that you are in a town with great oculoplastic surgery.  I can recommend Texas Oculoplastic Consultants.  They are the largest group of oculoplastic surgeons in the country and are highly qualified.

For one eye to be higher after blepharoplasty because an excessive amount of skin was removed is highly unlikely.  The more likely symptom after too much skin is removed would be difficulty completely closing the eye.  A close examination of preoperative photos may reveal that one eye was actually higher even before surgery.  It's also possible that a muscle was injured during surgery, but this would cause an eye to be lower, not higher.  Postoperative swelling can be an issue, but typically this also causes an eye to be lower, not higher.  Massaging the higher eyelid shouldn't make a difference.

This is all assuming only a blepharoplasty was performed.  If a ptosis repair was done, tightening of the muscle can lead to an overly elevated lid, which sometimes does respond to massage.  You need to ask your doctor if this might be the case. 

It is difficult to assess your problem without looking at preop and postop photos.  You may have underlying ptosis (droopy eyelids), facial asymmetry, postop swelling, or possibly asymmetrical surgical result.  Consult an oculoplastic surgeon.  (Massaging eyelid 6 weeks after surgery should not have much effect on anything.)

Mehryar (Ray) Taban