Post upper blepharoplasty suture removal on 14th day post-op? (Photo)

Removing sutures between 11 and 14 days post op is routine within our practice. The reason for this is that we use a CO2 laser to make the surgery incision. This allows for immediate cauterization of blood vessels during surgery and therefore less bruising after surgery for the patient. The downfall to this is that the sutures must remain for a longer period of time as the incision heals slower due to the technique. The sutures are well hidden in the eyelid crease, so in my experience, most patients would prefer to have less bruising with the trade off of the sutures being in longer. The eyelid skin is so thin and heals so well, it is extremely uncommon for patients to have a "bad" scar in that area. Do not worry. You are going to have a fantastic outcome!

Every surgeon has a different operative technique and protocol for when they prefer to remove sutures after eyelid surgery. You should follow your surgeon's advice.

I would recommend that you follow your surgeon's instructions and see him at the directed time for suture removal.  Each surgeon has their own preference for how to close an upper blepharoplasty incision, what suture to use, and how long to leave the sutures in.  I do not close my upper blepharoplasty incision in the same manner as your surgeon, but that does not mean that you will not have a good result.    

I also notice your surgeon is using silk suture.  That is certainly acceptable practice but it is old school.  The longer sutures are left in place, the more likely a suture track or suture related inflammation will become an issue.  The suture tracks tend to be visible in some cases.  For that reason, upper eyelid surtures are more typically removed at about 1 week after surgery.  A significant except is when a laser was used to make the skin incision.  1 week of healing is not enough because the laser damages the skin adjacent to the incision which is what has to hold the suture.  For that reason, sutures may be left in place 10-14 days.  This is the biggest reason I do not use a laser to make my blepharoplasty incision.

Thank you for your question and photos. Many patients question the post operative protocols that they were directed by their surgeon. Much of the post operative routine is based on surgeon experience and not necessarily science. I always recommend that you follow your doctors instructions. In my practice, permanent sutures, such as what it appears you have in place are usually removed between 5 and 10 days depending on the patient. For example, if you have a higher risk of wound healing problems (e.g. smokers, diabetics, patients with poor nutrition, etc.) I may leave them in longer.Best Regards,Dr. Stutman

Thanks for your question. It looks like you're healing well. I tend to take out sutures earlier than that- usually around day 5 to 7. But, your doctor is certainly experienced with this kind of surgery, and you trusted him enough to do the procedure in the first place, so I'd go with his recommendations. The nice thing about eyelid surgery is that the scars are invisible anyway when you have your eyes open.Keep up with your wound care. Good luck!