Including Upper and Lower Eyelid Medical and Cosmetic Procedures

For all eyelid surgeries, including Ptosis, Ectropion, Entropion, and Retraction Repair, and Cosmetic Blepharoplasty, follow these post-surgical guidelines.

Following surgery at the hospital, you will be given an antibiotic ointment, often Bacitracin ophthalmic ointment, and pain medication. Take these according to instructions. Most patients find eyelid surgery to be relatively free of pain. But, if pain and discomfort is strong or persists, call our office and we should be able to adjust the medication as necessary.

The ointment should be used as directed for 7-10 days. No further refills should be required but may be given if necessary. If you feel an intense burning or itching after application of the ointment, please discontinue usage immediately and call our office; you may be having an allergic reaction. The ointment can work its way onto the eyeball itself, in which case your vision would appear slightly blurry. This is normal and acceptable. If you experience acute visual loss, call our office immediately as that could be the sign of a serious but rare complication.

Directly following your surgery, you should begin applying cold compresses; cold gel packs or crushed ice wrapped in a clean towel are recommended. Hold the compress against the eye area with your eyes shut. Do this at least six times a day for no longer than 15 minutes at a time. Remember the more you can keep cold compresses over the eye(s) following your surgery, the faster the bruising and swelling will go down. Continue applying the compresses every day until the bruising and swelling begin to subside; this can vary for every patient as every individual has their own healing time.

In addition to the cold compresses, while your eye(s) continue to swell keep your head elevated at night by propping it up with two or three pillows. We recommend sleeping on your back, opposed to your side or stomach, as this will keep blood flowing away from the swollen area.

You should expect some oozing of blood from the incision site for the first few days following your surgery; this is normal. However if the bleeding is excessive (enough to soak a wash cloth), please call our office immediately. Occasionally, heavy bags may form under the eyes; this is fluid draining from the site and is normal, and will disappear in a short time.

Refrain from heavy lifting or rigorous activity for 7-10 days after surgery, as this adds pressure to the suture lines and may increase the risk of scarring.

The sutures should dissolve on their own in 7-10 days. If you have had non-dissolvable sutures placed, which may be necessary on occasion, you will be informed and an appointment will be made for you to have those removed.

It is rare that you would develop an infection but if you experience oozing of fluid, greenish or yellowish in color, or progressive redness or swelling, please call our office.

After the bruising and swelling have begun to subside, you may notice the skin around the eye(s) can begin to become dry, itchy, or irritated. This is all part of the normal healing process. At this time you can begin to apply warm compresses by taking a clean washcloth and wringing it out with warm water. Make sure the temperature is not too hot as this can damage the cellular structure of the skin that is trying to heal. It should be as warm as you can tolerate comfortably. Do this as many times a day as needed until the irritation subsides.

A post-operative appointment will be made for you ahead of time. Please keep this appointment. You should be seen a few weeks following your surgery post-operatively. At this time your surgeon should be able to evaluate the initial outcome of your surgery. However, it can take up to 3-4 months to experience a full recovery and to determine the final outcome of surgery.

The most common side effect of a lid surgery is that a revision may be required. Our surgeons would prefer to be conservative with removing tissue, as it is always easier to adjust if more skin or a further pinch of the muscle is needed. Approximately 1 in 30 patients will require such a procedure and most revisions can be done under local anesthesia right here in our office.

If you are using Vitamedica Healing Supplements or Skinceutical products, please additionally follow these after-care product guidelines. Additionally, read the instructions on the package entirely.

Bromelain with Quercitan

Begin taking Bromelain with Quercetin three days before surgery. After Surgery, continue Bromelain with Quercitan until the inflammation and swelling have subside, usually 7-10 days. As a dietary supplement, take two (2) capsules three (3) times daily on an empty stomach.

Arnica Montana

Begin taking Arnica Montana (along with the Bromelain w/ Quercitan) following surgery and continue until the bruising and swelling subsides, or about 7-10 days. To ensure proper absorbtion, do not brush your teeth, eat or drink anything but water 15 minutes before and 15 minutes after taking this product. This product is a sublingual application. Do not handle the tablets. Instead, drop tablets into the bottle cap and place tablets under tongue and let dissolve naturally. Take 3 tablets, 3 times daily.

A pharmaceutical grade, skin care regimen that offers many benefits ranging from anti-aging formulas to advanced skin care protection. Your surgical package will include either the Eye Cream or the Eye Balm and samples of the Eye Gel and SPF Protect.

Begin using the products before surgery 30 days in advance of surgery or as soon as you receive them.

After surgery, do not resume using Skincueticals products immediately. Instead, resume your skin Care regimen when swelling has subsided or between 7-10 days. If you feel irritation near the suture lines from the products at that time, wait an additional period before you resume the product.

If you have any further questions about the information you have just read, or have a question that has not been addressed in this packet, call our office at 952-925-4161 or fax us at 952-925-3520.

To download an easy to use product instruction sheet, click here.