What Can I Do to Keep my Eyes Moist After Blepharoplasty Surgery?

Question

It has been 1 week after my blepharoplasty surgery upper/lower.  I find my eyes very dry and tight.

Rod J. Rohrich, MD · Answer

It is well written that we have specific post operative care. In fact, the most important is to keep your head elevated and use ice compresses for 3-5 days continually as well as moisturizing your eyes with lubrication. It is normal for your eyes to feel tight and dry. It is a normal post operative sequence.

Caner Kacmaz, MD · Answer

Dry eyes caused by blepharoplasty should be temporary. Once you heal completely, typically within 2 weeks, the problem should resolve. I prescribe my patients artificial tears to use during the day and an ointment for bedtime. This makes their recovery process easier. Good luck with your recovery.

Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS, FACS · Answer

Thanks for asking - It is important to keep your eyes well lubricated after surgery for comfort and a fast result. I recommend to my patients: wetting solutions such as "Blink", "Systane" or similar drops as often as needed and at least 3-4x/day if you have dry eye symptoms and an ointment type of lubricant at night such as "Lacrilube". Your surgeon should guide you on this and if there is significant irritation or dryness he may have you patch your eyes closed at night especially if they don't close all the way.

Carlos L. Wolf, MD · Answer

After undergoing eye surgery it is not uncommon to have some dryness. The dryness experienced after eye surgery may be overcome either by using artificial tears or ointment. I usually have my patents use artificial tears for a few days . If this is not enough I add some ointment before they go to sleep This is usually a temporary situation.\Good Luck

Adam Rubinstein, MD · Answer

Its not quite like making brown eyes blue, but after eyelid surgery your eyes can become dryer than normal. It is also possible to have overproduction of tears, though that is less common.  A lot of patients will experience a little bit of dry eyes after surgery, particularly if you had a tendency towards dry eyes before surgery.
Thankfully, this is almost always a temporary problem. The easy solution is solution! That is, you can use artificial tears (drops available over the counter in any pharmacy) to add moisture to your eyes as needed. Some other things you can do are using a lubricating eye ointment at night (I like lacrilube) and in severe cases, some topical steroid eyedrops for a little while after surgery. Be careful if you choose to use lacrilube or other ointments because it will make your vision blurry until it completely dissolves. That's why I recommend only at night right before bed.
You dry eye problem can last up to a few months after surgery, but should resolve in time. The tightness will also resolve over time and is likely the result of swelling which gets better everyday after surgery. If you feel like you're not getting any better after a week or so, you should visit with your surgeon to be sure that everything is OK.
I hope this info helps!

Corey S. Maas, MD · Answer

It not uncommon to have some swelling after blepharoplasty with resultant eye irritation from dry eyes. It is critical on applies artificial tears or prescribed eye drops throughout the day. Often, an ointment is recommended for use at night. Ice for the first 24-48 hours will help reduce swelling and improve recovery.

Kami K. Parsa, MD · Answer

In addition to the use of your antibiotics ointment prescribed to you by your surgeon, you should use non-preservative artificial tears. These are over the counter drops. Refresh plus is an example of such medication. You may use it 4 to 5 times a day as needed.

William Portuese, MD · Answer

After either upper or lower blepharoplasty, moisturizing eye drops of normal saline can be used on an as-needed basis.
To prevent chemosis or swelling of the sclera (white part of the eye) during the initial weeks of the postoperative phase, Lacri-Lube ophthalmic ointment can be used.  Once applied, the patient&rsquo;s eyes must remain closed which is why patients are instructed to use it at bedtime.

D.J. Verret, MD · Answer

Dry eyes after blepharoplasty is not uncommon. This is generally due to swelling and dysfunction of the orbicularis muscle and tearing apparatus. Use of artificial tears as needed and lacrilube at least twice a day and before sleeping is well advised.
While dry eyes can be a permanent side effect of blepharoplasty, it is fairly unusual. If it persists much past 2-3 weeks after surgery, consultation with an ophthamologist is warranted as temporary tear duct plugs may be necessary to ensure adequate lubrication of the eyes. If the eyes are not lubricated properly, corneal damage can occur.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

I always recommend to my patient to use artificial tears for dryness during the day, and lacriilube to keep them moist at night.
Dryness is very common after surgery.  The eyes can also feel tight, especially if a canthopexy or canthoplasty were performed to support the lower lid. This usually settles down after a few weeks.

What Can I Do to Keep my Eyes Moist After Blepharoplasty Surgery?

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