BEFORE EYELID LIFT SURGERY
At your preoperative appointment our nurse will provide all the instructions for you to follow before and after eyelid lift surgery. On the business day prior to the operation we ask you to call to confirm your arrival time for surgery. Upon arrival for your eyelid lift surgery, you will talk with a nurse (who will start an IV), discuss anesthesia (local anesthesia with IV sedation keeps you asleep and comfortable) and meet with your doctor before going to the operating room. An eyelid lift (either upper or lower eyelids) takes about an hour depending on the structure and amount of excess tissue prior to surgery. If you are having a combination of plastic surgery procedures your surgery will take longer. Recovery time from the anesthetic takes about an hour and you will be discharged about four hours from the time of admission.
PREOPERATIVE EYELID LIFT SURGERY INSTRUCTIONS
- Please avoid any aspirin, aspirin-containing products, or ibuprofen (Advil, Aleve, etc.) for one week prior to and two weeks following your eyelid lift surgery. Our "Medication List" outlines in detail products to avoid prior to plastic surgery. If you are on any medications that affect bleeding (such as coumadin or warfarin) please notify the office immediately.
- Please refrain from tobacco products and alcohol for two weeks prior and two weeks following eyelid lift surgery. Along with delayed wound healing, persistent skin redness and other complications may persist when tobacco and alcohol are not discontinued.
- Please notify us of all routine medications and significant health history. We ask that you remain on your daily medications unless instructed otherwise. At the preoperative appointment, our nurse will tell you which daily medications to take with just a sip of water on the morning of your eyelid lift surgery.
- At your preoperative appointment you will be given prescriptions for use following eyelid lift surgery including an oral antibiotic, antibiotic eye ointment and pain medications. Please obtain these prescription medications before your eyelid lift surgery so you will have them ready for use when you return home after surgery.
- We will ask you to begin Arnica, a natural herb that significantly decreases bruising, on the day before eyelid lift surgery. We will also ask you to start Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), which helps promote healing, for one week before and two weeks following surgery.
- Please call the Lindsay House Surgery Center at 267-8200 before noon on the business day prior to your procedure to confirm your arrival time.
- You may not eat or drink after midnight the evening before the eyelid lift procedure unless instructed otherwise. You may brush your teeth. Your eyelid lift procedure will be cancelled if you do not follow these instructions.
- Do not bring valuables (cash, credit cards, watches, jewelry, etc.) to the Lindsay House on the day of your eyelid lift surgery. Remove all make-up and nail polish before arriving for your procedure
- It is not required that a family member or friend stay at the Lindsay House during your blepharoplasty surgery. However, someone must be available at all times while you are here at the Lindsay House for surgery. Someone will need to drive you home after your eyelid lift surgery and stay with you that evening. Transportation to the office for packing removal the day following surgery is also required.
AFTER EYELID LIFT SURGERY
When you wake up from eyelid lift surgery you will notice iced saline eye pads on your eyes. These help to minimize swelling and bruising. Your vision will be blurry due to the eye ointment that was placed in your eyes after eyelid lift surgery. You may also notice that tears run down your cheeks, which is due to swelling and will subside during the first week following surgery.
Following blepharoplasty, the nurses will ask assist you to meet the discharge criteria: to drink liquids, walk with a steady gait, void, manage your discomfort, and to have your nasal drainage under control. The nurses will teach you how to change the eye pads, which you will need for about 24 hours.
You will be asked to come to our Lindsay House office (not the Surgery Center) three days after eyelid lift surgery for suture removal. Although most patients describe removal of eyelid sutures as discomfort rather than pain, you are encouraged to take your pain medication about an hour prior to suture removal.
POSTOPERATIVE EYELID LIFT SURGERY INSTRUCTIONS
Wound care
For 24 hours after surgery, keep ice water soaked pads on eyes, changing pads every 20-30 minutes. Pads should be soaking wet - do not wring out completely. It is the weight of the water as well as the temperature that helps minimize bruising. A small bag of frozen peas or corn may also be used on top of the eye pads. Make sure the bag is not placed directly on the skin. Use a washcloth or towel between the bag and your skin.
At bedtime clean any excess ointment off sutures with a Q-tip. Then apply the eye ointment (most commonly polysporin ophthalmic) on the eyelid sutures and inside the lower eyelid. Until the sutures are removed, you will apply the eye ointment two times a day (morning and evening) to the sutures. It is only necessary to apply the ointment inside the lower eyelid at bedtime. Ointment inside the lower eyelid will make vision blurry, so best to do this immediately prior to retiring for the evening. Sutures that have been kept lubricated with ointment are less painful to remove.
Medications
Most patients complain of discomfort more than pain. Use pain medication (Vicodin/hydrocodone) as directed/as needed. Vicodin contains Tylenol. Do not take additional Tylenol or acetaminophen while taking Vicodin. Do not drive or drink alcohol while taking pain medication. Side effects of pain medications can include nausea and constipation. Taking pain medication with food helps minimize nausea. Over-the-counter laxatives are indicated if constipation persists.
Start your antibiotic (Keflex/cephalexin) when you get home and one at bedtime. Tomorrow take one tablet every six hours until gone. It is not uncommon to have a low-grade fever for 24 hours following eyelid lift surgery.
Start swelling medication (Medrol Dosepak/methyl prednisolone) when you arrive home. Take with food.
Take Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), which helps promote healing, for two weeks following surgery. Also take Arnica, a natural herb that significantly decreases bruising, for one week following eyelid lift surgery.
Diet
Advance diet from liquids to soft food to your regular diet as tolerated.
Activity
Sleep with head of the bed elevated or use two to three pillows for one week after eyelid lift surgery. Absolutely no bending, lifting or straining. If you have little children, bend at the knees or sit on the floor and let them climb on to your lap. No driving for one week following surgery. One week off work is recommended.
After 24 hours, keep incisions dry except for ointment. You are encouraged to shower and wash your hair before coming for suture removal. Steri-strips, which must remain dry and in place for four days following suture removal, are applied. Bruising can be camouflaged at one week postoperatively with make-up. Avoid unprotected prolonged sun exposure for three months following blepharoplasty to prevent pigmentation of incision lines.
Please Remember!
Tearing, bruising, swelling, eye fatigue and disrupted sleep are very normal postoperative eyelid lift symptoms and will decrease as the healing process occurs. Since vision is temporarily compromised, assistance with daily activities is recommended.
Final Result
Following blepharoplasty, it takes time for the swelling to subside and for the skin to heal. Most patients return to work one to two weeks following eyelid lift surgery, depending on temporary bruising and swelling. At that time, swelling and bruising may be apparent to you but not to many of your coworkers and closest friends.
Final results following blepharoplasty are not apparent for one full year following surgery. After three months, the changes are ever so subtle, although still important. Being perfectionists about our work, you may tell us you are pleased long before the one year anniversary. However, we request that you follow-up with us at that time for postoperative eyelid lift photographs and so that we can enjoy your final result.
Please notify the office 244-1000 and ask for our nurse for any concerns. For an emergency, please contact our office or professional answering service at 258-4851. Remember, we are all here to help in any way we can.
Copyright 2010 Quatela Center for Plastic Surgery