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I had an upper eyelid blepharoplasty (both eyes) 3...
I had an upper eyelid blepharoplasty (both eyes) 3 months ago on Friday the 10th of November at 8 in the morning. It was under local anaesthetics and both skin and fat were removed. The weeks before and after the blepharoplasty I didn't drink any alcohol and didn't take anything that could thin your blood (like certain painkillers). I know some people like to use arnica beforehand, but I didn't (didn't use it afterwards either). Because I was nervous (which raises my blood pressure) I asked for a pill to calm me down. The injections of the anaesthetics were painful, but I didn't feel any pain after that. During the surgery I had a nice chat with the surgeon. Sometimes what he did, felt odd, and I would say so, and he would explain what he was doing. It was strange to smell your own burning flesh when he cauterized the wound. To close the skin he used sutures that had to be removed 6 days later. He also put tiny patches over the incision. Despite all that, I liked the way it looked immediately afterwards.
The surgery took about 30 minutes. Around 9 o'clock the anaesthetics started to wear off, and I began to feel pain. I could take paracetamol (no other painkillers) and that helped. I was on my own and I needed to travel back by public transport (bus, train, bus) for about 2 hours. This went well, I had brought sunglasses for the occasion. At some point the wounds started to weep a little (normal but awkward). When I came home I made myself comfortable; I rested most of the time for 3 days. The week after the surgery I slept with my head up (till the stitches were removed) and I ate food to help the healing process (food with protein, zinc, iron, vitamin C and K, like hummus, nuts, fish, cod liver, bell peppers, spinach and other green vegetables). I hardly had any bruising (right after the surgery my surgeon told me he didn't expect me to have any) just a few blotches under my eyes; I used Sudocrem for that which contains zinc (don't put this on the wounds!). I only took pain medication for the first 12 hours, it wasn't necessary after that (although things like yawning, sneezing and laughing could be painfull the first week).
The first days after the surgery the area around my eyes was very puffy, but that quickly got better, although my eyes could still get puffy in the morning one month post-op. (Usually it was just one eye. I guess it has something to do with the side you're sleeping on.) Also my right eye didn't close completely and I needed eye drops, but when the stitches were removed I could close it again. Additionally the first days after the surgery my eyelids felt numb, and it was a really weird feeling to touch my lashes, but that was only temporary.
I only took 1 day off, the day of the surgery, I started to work again the Monday after. I have a 40 hour workweek and a need to commute around 2.5 hours a day, but it went well (I have a desk job). I wore sunglasses so my colleagues wouldn't have to look at the scars (I actually also wore them at night because I was afraid I would touch my eyes while I was sleeping). One thing I did notice is that the interaction with other people could be a bit exhausting. I'm quite an expressive person, but your facial expressions are limited when the stitches are still in. Suddenly you really feel it when you are raising your eyebrows, frowning and smiling (the first 3 days after surgery I rested and didn't have much interaction with others, so i felt this when i went back to work). I made sure I could rest in the evenings.
I usually walk a lot, but I minimized that the first weeks after the surgery. I got very clear instructions from my surgeon about the things I should and shouldn't do before the surgery, after the surgery and after the stitches were removed. I followed them all. I noticed that the instructions can vary from surgeon to surgeon, but if you make the choice for a specific surgeon then also follow their instructions. I didn't get any antibacterial cream, but I have been using Calendulan since the stitches came out (I asked if that was okay first).
I had the blepharoplasty done because one eye was droopy and the other was hooded. About 25 years ago, when I was 22, I fell through a glass table and my carotid artery was cut. I lost a lot of blood but I survived and I did not have brain damage, however I did have a droopy left eye which turned out to be Horners Syndrome. Lately it seemed to become worse, the fact that my right eye started to get hooded didn't help. Because the droopiness was not consistent (it would be more noticable when i was tired) I didn't want to have a ptosis surgery on my left eye. A blepharoplasty on both eyes was the second best option to make my eyes look more equal. And eventhough the droopiness is still there, I could immediately see that the difference between both eyes was much smaller after the surgery .
On photos the result already looks good, but up close you can still see my scars, although they are finally starting to fade. The area that takes longest to heal, is where the stitches began/ended; on the inside and (especially) the outside of the eyes; it is raised and bumpy. For a long time it felt like I was constantly wearing those little sunglasses you get at tanning saloons.
I'm not covering the scars. I've only worn make-up twice since the surgery. In general I do like to wear make-up, but now I would rather wait till the scars have healed some more.
The thing that's surprised me most about the blepharoplasty, is that the headache is gone. I didn't actually realize how much I had been raising my eyebrows and how much headache that had caused. My forehead is definitely less wrinkly too. What i did not expect is the amount of tissue being removed, I was mainly concerned about the above mentioned issue and never expected my crow's feet to disappear too (but it does look good!). What I find most difficult, is how patient you need to be. The bruises were never an issue, but the scars take their time. I know they'll fade in the end, and it's interesting to see how the collagen is doing its thing, but they're in the middle of your face and at some point you want it to be over. Still, I'm very happy I had this procedure.
The surgery took about 30 minutes. Around 9 o'clock the anaesthetics started to wear off, and I began to feel pain. I could take paracetamol (no other painkillers) and that helped. I was on my own and I needed to travel back by public transport (bus, train, bus) for about 2 hours. This went well, I had brought sunglasses for the occasion. At some point the wounds started to weep a little (normal but awkward). When I came home I made myself comfortable; I rested most of the time for 3 days. The week after the surgery I slept with my head up (till the stitches were removed) and I ate food to help the healing process (food with protein, zinc, iron, vitamin C and K, like hummus, nuts, fish, cod liver, bell peppers, spinach and other green vegetables). I hardly had any bruising (right after the surgery my surgeon told me he didn't expect me to have any) just a few blotches under my eyes; I used Sudocrem for that which contains zinc (don't put this on the wounds!). I only took pain medication for the first 12 hours, it wasn't necessary after that (although things like yawning, sneezing and laughing could be painfull the first week).
The first days after the surgery the area around my eyes was very puffy, but that quickly got better, although my eyes could still get puffy in the morning one month post-op. (Usually it was just one eye. I guess it has something to do with the side you're sleeping on.) Also my right eye didn't close completely and I needed eye drops, but when the stitches were removed I could close it again. Additionally the first days after the surgery my eyelids felt numb, and it was a really weird feeling to touch my lashes, but that was only temporary.
I only took 1 day off, the day of the surgery, I started to work again the Monday after. I have a 40 hour workweek and a need to commute around 2.5 hours a day, but it went well (I have a desk job). I wore sunglasses so my colleagues wouldn't have to look at the scars (I actually also wore them at night because I was afraid I would touch my eyes while I was sleeping). One thing I did notice is that the interaction with other people could be a bit exhausting. I'm quite an expressive person, but your facial expressions are limited when the stitches are still in. Suddenly you really feel it when you are raising your eyebrows, frowning and smiling (the first 3 days after surgery I rested and didn't have much interaction with others, so i felt this when i went back to work). I made sure I could rest in the evenings.
I usually walk a lot, but I minimized that the first weeks after the surgery. I got very clear instructions from my surgeon about the things I should and shouldn't do before the surgery, after the surgery and after the stitches were removed. I followed them all. I noticed that the instructions can vary from surgeon to surgeon, but if you make the choice for a specific surgeon then also follow their instructions. I didn't get any antibacterial cream, but I have been using Calendulan since the stitches came out (I asked if that was okay first).
I had the blepharoplasty done because one eye was droopy and the other was hooded. About 25 years ago, when I was 22, I fell through a glass table and my carotid artery was cut. I lost a lot of blood but I survived and I did not have brain damage, however I did have a droopy left eye which turned out to be Horners Syndrome. Lately it seemed to become worse, the fact that my right eye started to get hooded didn't help. Because the droopiness was not consistent (it would be more noticable when i was tired) I didn't want to have a ptosis surgery on my left eye. A blepharoplasty on both eyes was the second best option to make my eyes look more equal. And eventhough the droopiness is still there, I could immediately see that the difference between both eyes was much smaller after the surgery .
On photos the result already looks good, but up close you can still see my scars, although they are finally starting to fade. The area that takes longest to heal, is where the stitches began/ended; on the inside and (especially) the outside of the eyes; it is raised and bumpy. For a long time it felt like I was constantly wearing those little sunglasses you get at tanning saloons.
I'm not covering the scars. I've only worn make-up twice since the surgery. In general I do like to wear make-up, but now I would rather wait till the scars have healed some more.
The thing that's surprised me most about the blepharoplasty, is that the headache is gone. I didn't actually realize how much I had been raising my eyebrows and how much headache that had caused. My forehead is definitely less wrinkly too. What i did not expect is the amount of tissue being removed, I was mainly concerned about the above mentioned issue and never expected my crow's feet to disappear too (but it does look good!). What I find most difficult, is how patient you need to be. The bruises were never an issue, but the scars take their time. I know they'll fade in the end, and it's interesting to see how the collagen is doing its thing, but they're in the middle of your face and at some point you want it to be over. Still, I'm very happy I had this procedure.
Provider Review
Dr. Geerling
Doctor Geerling was recommended by my health insurance (I had to pay for the blepharoplasty myself, but they did help me find the best surgeon). He only does eye lifts, which makes him very good at it. When I first met him he made it very clear that a blepharoplasty would not solve my problem (Horner's Syndrome), I appreciated that.