5 Tips to Help Speed Your Recovery from Blepharoplasty

Blepharoplasty: It isn’t an easy word to say (or spell), but it’s a relatively straightforward surgical procedure that improves the appearance of your eyes and may also help your vision.

As you age, your eyelids may become saggy, wrinkled, folded, puffy, or baggy. When this happens, you may look older than you’d like. Or you may have trouble seeing well: In some people, loose or sagging lids above or below the eyes interfere with vision.

Here at Ventura Eye Institute in Camarillo, California, Dr. Michael T. Ragen specializes in blepharoplasty and other eye care procedures. If drooping eyelids are causing you concern, he can perform eyelid-lifting surgery that will give you a new outlook. Blepharoplasty is an in-office surgical procedure that changes the shape of your upper or lower eyelids.

Recovery from blepharoplasty is fairly quick. However, you can speed your recovery by following these five simple tips.

Tip #1: Follow your personalized recovery plan.

After your surgery, you spend some time in our office recovering. During that time, our team of eyecare professionals monitors your progress, checking to make sure you’re feeling well and not experiencing any complications.

When you leave our office, we provide you with a personalized recovery plan that explains what steps you should take to ensure a safe, quick recovery. Be sure to follow the instructions exactly.  

Tip #2: Watch for complications.

Most patients recuperate easily, without any difficulties. However, you should watch out for problems such as signs of infection, bleeding, blurry vision, or trouble opening, closing, or moving your eyelids.

Infections are rare, but if you do develop an infection, you require care. Call our office right away if you notice these signs of infection:

• Fever
• Redness, swelling, or warmth around the surgical site
• Pus, fluid, or any drainage from the surgical site
• Pain in the eyelid or eye
• Streaks of red around the eyelid

Tip #3: Use medications as prescribed.

You may receive a prescription for oral medications or medicated drops to help your eyelids heal. Follow all dosing instructions exactly.

We may also recommend that you use eye ointments or cold compresses to relieve discomfort and promote healing. Our staff will talk with you before you leave our office about exactly how to take care of your eyes for the next few days. By following these recommendations closely, you can minimize bruising, swelling, and irritation.

If you have a question or concern, call our office. We understand that having any kind of surgical procedure can be stressful. Often, we can ease your post-operative concerns simply by talking with you.

Tip #4: Take good care of yourself.

As you recuperate, make self-care a top priority. Get plenty of rest, eat a healthy diet, drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol, and don’t smoke. Ask family and friends to help you out. Talk with Dr. Ragen about how much time you should take off from work.

Tip #5: Schedule a follow-up appointment.

We ask you to return to the office a few days after your surgery so that we can remove any stitches you may have had. We also like to take a look at your eyelids to make sure they’re healing properly.

Learn more.

If you’ve noticed that your eyelids are becoming baggy, saggy, or loose with age, call or schedule an appointment online with Ventura Eye Institute to find out if blepharoplasty surgery is the right choice for you.