Three weeks post blepharoplasty not healed. Yellow stuff coming out of lids (Photo)

Question

I had upper blepharoplasty two day days ago and had complications due to an allergic reaction to an ointment. The physician had to do additional stitches a week after to part of the lid on both eyes. The stitches came out five days ago but no major improvement, just scabs and the scar appears to be indented, there is yellow stuff coming out all along the initial suture line. is there something (other than waiting ) I need to do now.

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD · Answer

You need to be patient.  Let this heal.  Adding sutures is not going to help close this.  The body needs to heal this.  Do not clean or manipulate the wound.  You may think you are helping but this merely delays the healing process.  Remember this is an active mobile area that moves when you blink and close the eyes.  That is why it takes time to resolve.  This will close.  It should have ointment on it because keeping it moist allows the skin to heal 5 times faster.  If the antibiotic ointment was a problem try bland ophthalmic ointment instead such as refresh pm.  This may or may not need to be surgically revised.  These areas have remarkable powers to heal an open wound like this.  If the would heals with a spread scar, this can be revised and it is relatively minor procedure.

John J. Martin, Jr., MD · Answer

Your wound opened here. In some patients the skin heals more slowly and can separate after sutures come out. I never re suture these.  It will heal in and 90% of the time you will see no scar.  If you do have a scar can revise at 6 months.  The yellow is not infection.   It is the color of the tissue healing, and will usually look sort of wet and yellow.

James R. Gordon, MD, FACS, FAAO · Answer

Thank you for sharing your concerns. I am sorry to hear of the poor healing following your surgery. You need to be evaluated by your surgeon for possible infection. The scar will probably not be too bad, but can be revised if you are dissatisfied after several months. Good luck.

Mark Been, MD · Answer

I'm sorry you had an allergic reaction. The outer half of the incision appears to have opened and is widened as a result. This will probably require a revision with additional stitches. Make sure to alert your surgeon as soon as possible so he or she can further manage your healing. Try not to get discouraged though--even though it may not look great right now, upper eyelid incisions typically heal quite well, even when issues like this arise. Good luck!

Jeffrey M. Darrow, MD · Answer

You had a wound open up and although it is a bit of a set back, as long as you and your surgeon keep the area clean, it will gradually heal.  The cosmetic result can still be quite good in spite of this event.  If after 4-6 months, you do not like the appearance of the scar, a small revision of the scar could be done to refine it.  Follow up closely with your surgeon.

Three weeks post blepharoplasty not healed. Yellow stuff coming out of lids (Photo)

Answers (5)