Ten Months After Facelift Am Unable to Blink Involuntarily in Right Eye, What Would You Recommend?

Question

ten months after facelift right eye still unable to blink involuntarily.Am using drops and ointment at night since eye does not stay closed at night. I am 67 years old, dr says should wait for 2 more months since I have shown improvement over facial palsy I had on right side..Last 2 months showed improvement on cheek and mouth but right eye still a problem. What would you recommend? I can provide a photo,is there anyway to send a video of eye blinking since that would show problem.

	Please see updated question here.

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD · Answer

Facial nerve damage from surgery can affect eyelid closure. The most important questions regarding an eyelid that does not close well cannot be assessed unless you have a slit lamp to examine the corneal surface. The surgeon asking you to squeeze the eyes close really does not answer the question of how well are the eyelids functioning to protect the eyes. The American Society for Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery maintains a geographic directory at their website (asoprs dot org) which can help you find a highly qualified surgeon who can assess how the difficultly blinking is affecting the eye health and what is needed to help the situation.

Peter E. Johnson, MD · Answer

Weakness in the cheek and lid after facelift suggests an injury to the facial nerve. The facial nerve lies deep in the cheek and injury is very uncommon. The recovery in the cheek is very encouraging and a longer wait will probably be beneficial. Keep up with the ointment and taping of the affected eye to protect it from dryness or abrasion.

	Best of luck, peterejohnsonmd.com

Michel Siegel, MD · Answer

It sounds like you sustained an injury to the nerves that control your facial muscles. Because there has been improvement it sounds like the nerves were not permanently damage. It can take many months for recovery, and the recovery may not be complete.

	Priority at this point is to make sure that your non-blinking eye remains moist, as you have been using the drops and ointment. A moisture patch, or chamber may also help. The other consideration would be the placement of a gold weight too help you blink. 

	Full examination by an eye specialist, and and/or a Facial Plastic or ENT specialist  would be my recommendation.

	My Best,

Sam Goldberger, MD · Answer

I would tell you to see an Oculoplastic surgeon if you have not done so already.  This is a complicated problem that requires a detailed examination.

Ten Months After Facelift Am Unable to Blink Involuntarily in Right Eye, What Would You Recommend?

Answers (4)

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