Is It Uncomfortable to Have Upper Eyelid Surgery with Just Local Pain Medication?

I don't use corneal shields with eyelid surgery. I find them occasionally uncomfortable for the patient and generally unnecessary. They, too, can cause scratches or irritation during placement and removal. Although I typically perform blepharoplasty with patients asleep, local with some pre-op sedation is usually fine in the properly selected patient. Pain after blepharoplasty is similarly minimal. Most of my upper blepharoplasty patients will take Tylenol or nothing for pain control afterward.

Good luck with your surgery,

--David C. Pearson, M.D.

Thank you for your question.  Eyelid surgery is typically performed under local anaesthetic.  The patients being awake throughout the procedure, therefore not experiencing the health risks associated with general anaesthetic, also recovery time being significantly reduced.  There will be a slight sensation of pulling or touch during the procedure, having not experiencing pain (this can depends on the patient's tolerance).  

Please make sure you find a reputable and qualified plastic surgeon who can assess you properly to give you a realistic idea of what outcome you can achieve.


 All The Best

Most patients do just fine with this combination for upper eyelid surgery, Blepharoplasty.. We also use Ativan, an anti anxiety medicine and many of our patients snooze through the procedure and don't remember any of the details.

Upper blepharoplasty may be performed with local anesthesia alone, sedation (oral or IV) with local anesthesia or with general anesthesia. All three are safe methods. Which of the three methods used is based on surgeon comfort and patient preference. I usually perform upper blepharoplasties under local anesthesia with some sedation. With a local anesthetic, the procedure is not painful, but the patient is aware of what is going on. Depending on how anxious the patient is, I offer them an oral medication to relax them during the procedure. With the regimen you described, you should be pretty comfortable for the duration of the procedure. Of course, a general anesthetic will be the most comfortable since you will be completely asleep but I really don’t think most people need a general anesthetic. Good luck!

Dr.Sunder

Hello,

Upper eyelid surgery can be performed under local or general anesthesia. It really depends on the desire of the patient.  The combination you describe is tolerable for surgery. I do not use the eye lens cover, but some surgeons do.  Thank you, and I hope this helps answer your question.

Dr. Nassif