6 mths post op ptosis repair and blepharoplasty. I went to a fellowship trained oculoplastic surgeon. Experiencing pain. Advice?

Question

My right eyelid is oddly shaped. It was re-operated on two months after surgery because of scar issue retracted the eyelash line into a peak. But now I have a peak in the eyelid. It is very tight o the eyelid and sticks to my eyeball all day causing pain. Dr. put plugs in saying that dry eye is the problem. There is no improvement. The original surgery was oddly sewn from the beginning and I questioned Dr. about it. Dr. claims I have an almost perfect result. I do not agree. What can I do?

Joseph Walrath, MD · Answer

Hi there,
One can certainly experience significant dryness after ptosis repair, even with surgery that is done carefully and with a "good" outcome. It sounds to me like that is what you are experiencing.  It is very difficult to assess eyelid mechanics, blink completeness, etc, with static photos.  That evaluation really needs to be done in person.
I would say that, in terms of your assessement, you are both "right."  Your surgeon did an excellent job of correcting lid height and contour, as identical amounts of the iris (colored part of the eye) are visible.
What bothers you is that there is an asymmetry in "lid platform" visibility.  The fact that one eyelid (on the right) looks bigger gives the impression of droopiness when, in fact, the eyelid is not droopy.  You just see more of it.  So why did that happen?  Hard to say, without preoperative examination.  It may be unmasking of a natural asymmetry in volume that was not visible to you preoperatively.  Alternatively, it may be that fat / muscle tissue was resected asymmetrically during the ptosis repair.
Once your eyes are more comfortable, it would be reasonable to consider right sub-brow filler injection with a qualified injector, to add more volume to right upper lid.  It is also possible that subtle brow asymmetry could be related, and that might be treatable with Botox.
In summary, I think you had good surgery.  I would get the eyes comfortable first, maybe with an ocular surface specialist, and then consider the cosmetic aspects after that.  Punctal plugs are a good first step.

Best of luck,
JDW

6 mths post op ptosis repair and blepharoplasty. I went to a fellowship trained oculoplastic surgeon. Experiencing pain. Advice?

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6 mths post op ptosis repair and blepharoplasty. I went to a fellowship trained oculoplastic surgeon. Experiencing pain. Advice?

Answers (1)

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Everything you need to know about Ptosis Surgery

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.