Are antibiotics required for a brow lift and upper blepharoplasty?

Some surgeons prefer to give a dose of antibiotics in the OR and may also prescribe antibiotics after surgery for precaution.  Given your negative reaction to medications in the past, I recommend you discuss your options with your surgeon. 

Typically only one dose is given in your IV before surgery.  After that no more antibiotics are necessary.

Antibiotics are not absolutely necessary with a brow and eyelid lift but I usually give patients a single dose in the operating room before the procedure, and if they are sensitive to antibiotics, they don't need to take any after that.Andrew Campbell, M.D.Facial Rejuvenation SpecialistQuintessa

For eyelid procedures, I rarely use antibiotics during the procedure or after the procedure. For brow lifts, we generally do give an IV dose just prior to beginning the procedure, but there is a lack of evidence to support that practice. Unless you are a high risk immune compromised patient, then routine use of intraoperative or postoperative antibiotics is likely not needed. Your surgeon should evaluate your medical history and make that decision, but most likely, you should do well without antibiotics for blepharoplasty and brow lift.

Antibiotics are not required for a brow lift and upper blepharoplasty, but some surgeons have a preference to use them before surgery as a prophylactic measure.  You would need to speak with your particular surgeon about the possible use of antibiotics before any surgery you might have.  

Prophylaxis is a matter of surgical preference. it would not necessarily be required for upper lid surgery. Your medical history would be relevant to this assessment. For example, it is general practice to prophylax diabetics. It is unlikely that you are sensitive to all antibiotics so a review of past treatment would be important. 

Thanks for your question. The issue of antibiotic use around the time of surgery is getting a lot more attention lately. For any kind of elective surgery, the general rules are, if you're going to use antibiotics, give a dose prior to the surgical incision and then use them for no more than 24 hours afterwards. For facial surgery, this is a reasonable guideline. Generally if I'm just doing upper eyelids, I won't give any systemic antibiotics and instead will have people use antibiotic ointment on their incisions afterwards. For what you're discussing, I'd probably have you get a dose in the operating room, and then either none at all afterwards or certainly not for more than a day after the surgery. Different surgeons have different practice patterns, though, so have this conversation with your doctor when you go for a consultation. Good luck!

 Its important to know which antibiotic you had an adverse reaction to, so that you can avoid that one again. Antibiotics are needed for some surgical procedures, depending upon the surgeon, and the location of where the procedure is being performed. A full set of facial photographs are going to be required to make a determination about being a candidate for two surgical procedures which include a brow lift and upper eyelid surgery

Dear Arieljune, Some surgeons order antibiotics for prophylactic measures however this does not mean that it is mandatory for the listed procedures. If you are having surgery in a fully accredited private operating facility versus a hospital where infections are seen you should not have concerns. Each surgeon will have different protocols so discuss your concerns with your consulting surgeons. Best regards, Michael V. Elam, M.D.