Swelling Under Eyes After Upper Eyelid Blepharoplasty

With all facial plastic surgery the swelling from surgery will gravitate downward due to gravity. From upper blepharoplasty to the lower eyelids, from lower blepharoplasty to the cheeks, from cheek or midface lift surgery to the jawline and neck. This swelling will resolve. Taking homeopathic Arnica Montana and Bromelaine can help.

It's not unusual for patients to develop swelling in the periorbital region after upper lid blepharoplasty. In the vast majority of patients this swelling is transient and resolves in about one to two weeks following surgical intervention. Unfortunately, in some cases, swelling may be persistent, lasting for several months following surgery.It's not uncommon for this swelling to extend into the surrounding soft tissue. When this happens, gravity can have a significant impact upon the location of the swelling. This often results in dependent edema which not only impacts the upper eyelids, but the lower eyelids as well.When this situation arises, it's important to avoid strenuous activity, maintain head elevation and utilize low salt diets. When these steps are take, resolution of swelling is facilitated.If you're concerned about post-operative swelling, it's important to consult your plastic surgeon. Your surgeon should be able to address your concerns and alleviate your anxiety.

Your question is helpful for many patients who often have similar concerns. The swelling (edema) following upper eyelid surgery migrates downward to the lower lids due to gravity. There is nothing unusual or worrisome about this. Fortunately, the swelling typically improves significantly during the 2 weeks post op period. Thank you for the question.

Maximum swelling is usually at about 3-5 days and goes away over a few months. You should sleep with your head elevated and cut back on salt to help the swelling.

This is very common and may be aggravated by the Restylane use but should be markedly improved by 7-10 days. If it lasts more than 6 weeks you may want to consider the off label use of hyaluronidase. In the meantime, sleep with your head elevated, consider cool compresses and inquire about the implementation of manual lymphatic drainage.