Is Eyelid Surgery Dangerous?

• 15 April 2020
• MCC Marketing

Last updated on July 10, 2024

Women and men who feel that they look tired even when they’re not often consider eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty, at My Cosmetic Clinic in Wollongong, NSW. However, they naturally want to do their due diligence before they commit to this cosmetic procedure. Before they decide if it is right for them, they want to know if it is dangerous, if it will hurt, and how extensive the recovery period is.

To summarize briefly, eyelid surgery is not dangerous, you will not feel pain or discomfort during the procedure, and the recovery is not as extensive as other, more invasive procedures. To help you make a well-informed decision, we’re answering the most commonly asked questions we get about this procedure.

FAQs About Eyelid Surgery

Is Eyelid Surgery Dangerous?

One of the most frequently asked questions about eyelid surgery is regarding the safety of the procedure. At My Cosmetic Clinic in Wollongong, NSW, located fewer than 90 minutes from Newcastle, Erina, and Central Coast, NSW, we take every precaution to ensure your procedure is as safe as possible.

For example, every procedure is performed in a sterile environment to mitigate the risk of infection. All equipment used is sterile, and your skin is cleansed thoroughly before your procedure to ensure there are no pollutants or irritants that can get inside your incision during your procedure. Finally, we provide you with a full course of antibiotics to take after your procedure.

Are Antibiotics Really Necessary?

It is absolutely necessary to take your full course of antibiotics exactly as prescribed. We can only control your environment while you are at our facility. We cannot control your environment once you leave. There is a chance that you will be exposed to pollutants or other irritants once you leave.

Therefore, to increase the likelihood of a smooth recovery and decrease your likelihood of developing an infection after your procedure, the antibiotics are not optional. If you have any more questions or concerns, we are more than happy to discuss this with you in further detail during your initial consultation.

What Other Safety Precautions Are Taken?

We take several other precautions before we even consider you for any procedure. For example, we thoroughly review your medical history, including your parents’ health and your history of illnesses and pre-existing medications. We also perform a comprehensive physical examination and ensure you do not have any active illnesses that would make this procedure dangerous.

If your heart and lungs are not healthy, you are not a good candidate for being put under general anesthesia. We will discuss your options, including local anesthesia and holding off on the procedure until you are healthier. If you have had a viral infection, bacterial infection or other illness within two weeks pre-op, we will reschedule your procedure until you are healthier.

Is There Anything I Should Do to Make the Procedure Safer?

There are steps you can and should take to mitigate your risk of complications during your procedure. The most important thing you can do to ensure your procedure goes as smoothly as possible is drinking as close to 3.8 litres of water per day in the two weeks leading up to your procedure. The more hydrated you are, the better off you should be.

It is also important to avoid any pharmaceuticals or supplements that can thin your blood, like NSAIDs and fish oil supplements. This is particularly important if you bruise easily. Furthermore, it is important that you take steps to ensure your blood pressure is within a healthy range, like not consuming alcohol or tobacco products.

What Steps Do You Take to Ensure Comfort During the Procedure?

Your safety, comfort, and satisfaction are our top three priorities. For this reason, we offer our clients the opportunity to receive general anesthesia. General anesthesia is a medication that is delivered intravenously and numbs the entire body while putting the client to sleep.

If general anesthesia is not right for you, there are other options available to keep you relaxed and comfortable. For example, you may receive an injectable local anesthetic that numbs only your eyelid region. To keep you relaxed, we can provide you with intravenous or oral sedation. We will discuss your options after your physical evaluation.

How Extensive Is the Recovery Process?

If you make a serious effort to take care of yourself before and after your procedure, your recovery should be fairly smooth. During the first 24 hours post-op, you will probably feel drowsy. This is a natural part of being put under general anesthesia or sedation. Listen to your body carefully and rest when it needs to rest.

Depending on the extent of the procedure, we may cover your eyes with gauze before you are sent home. Either way, you will need someone to drive you home. If required, you will wear the gauze on and off for 72 hours post-op. The day after your procedure, you should start walking around. Within seven to 10 days, you are free to return to work.

How Far Should I Walk?

Starting the day after your procedure, you should walk as far as you feel comfortable. The more you walk, the stronger your circulatory system will be. A strong circulatory system allows water, oxygen and micronutrients to be delivered to your healing skin.

We can’t guarantee walking a certain distance will speed your recovery by a specific rate. However, science has proven definitively that walking supports a strong, healthy circulatory system. Furthermore, science has proven definitively that a strong circulatory system facilitates the transportation of oxygen, micronutrients, and water throughout the body, as well as the platelets containing human growth factors that are essential for healing.

How Can I Make My Recovery Smoother?

There are several ways you can set yourself up for success regarding your recovery process. As stated previously, the more hydrated you are, the better off you will be. Furthermore, you should continue avoiding any drugs or supplements that can thin your blood for several days post-op. You should also avoid alcohol and tobacco products for six weeks post-op.

What Else Should I Be Doing During My Recovery?

Depending on your personality, you may be tempted to push yourself shortly after your procedure. For example, you may want to pick up your child or your pet. However, you should be avoiding any activities that can elevate your blood pressure, like strenuous activities, lifting more than a few kilos, exposure to excessive heat or cold, or eating too much sodium.

If you feel drowsy or tired, you should listen to what your body is telling you rather than your pride. There is nothing wrong with taking seven to 10 days to yourself to rest. To ensure that your focus is on your rest and recovery, we strongly encourage you to have someone stay with you for at least the first 24 hours post-op.

Is it Safe to Drive After the Procedure?

It is not safe to drive within 24 hours of your procedure. This is because both general anesthesia and sedation have the potential to cause drowsiness. Furthermore, you should not drive within 24 hours of taking a prescription analgesic that may cause drowsiness.

Depending on how you feel and the extent of the procedure, you may drive within 24 hours post-op as long as you are not taking a medication that has the potential to cause drowsiness. As with most other parts of your recovery, it is extremely important to listen to your body.

How Soon After the Procedure Can I Apply Cosmetics?

You may apply cosmetics to your face after 10 days if you absolutely can’t wait any longer. However, we strongly encourage our clients to wait between two and three weeks post-op to ensure the incisions have healed completely. Just be sure to use wipes or a soft washcloth to gently wash your lower face rather than a rough washcloth.

When Is it Safe to Shower After My Procedure?

It is safe to shower from the neck down at any point post-op. Many clients bathe before they come in for their procedure and do not shower again until the next day. You may take a full-body shower, including your face, roughly five days post-op. If you feel that you are ready to take a full shower three or four days post-op, just let us know.

Am I a Good Candidate for This Procedure?

Your safety is extremely important to us. We will not recommend this procedure to you if you have any medical conditions that may make it dangerous for you. However, we don’t just look at your medical history and current health during your initial consultation. We also consider your aesthetic goals to identify the best procedure or treatment for you.

What Results Can I Expect From This Procedure?

The results of this procedure vary on a case-by-case basis. Most commonly, we perform upper blepharoplasty. This procedure involves tightening and lifting the skin of the upper eyelids. In some cases, we will lift and tighten the underlying tissues. If you have excess skin, that can be removed.

Lower blepharoplasty involves tightening loose, sagging lower eyelid skin. Depending on the look you’re trying to achieve, we may remove excess fat from the bags under your eyes and we may even use a dermal filler or other injectable to further smooth wrinkles. Excess skin may also be removed during lower blepharoplasty.

How Long Do the Results Last?

The results of lower blepharoplasty are permanent. Once excess fat cells are removed, they can never grow back. If you make a conscious effort to keep your skin healthy, there’s a good chance that the skin lifting and tightening results of lower blepharoplasty will be permanent.

The results of upper blepharoplasty tend to last between five and seven years. While you can’t change your genes to increase the durability of results, there are lifestyle choices you can make to improve your likelihood that your results will last closer to seven years than five years.

How Can I Extend the Results of MyProcedure?

To improve your likelihood of durable results, try to drink at least 1.9 litres of water daily. Eat plenty of colorful fruits, vegetables and lean, healthy proteins to give your skin the nutrients it needs to stay young and healthy.

Learn More About Blepharoplasty Today

If you think you could benefit from lifting your eyelid skin and removing excess fat from underneath your eyelids, eyelid surgery may be right for you. When performed by qualified Doctors at My Cosmetic Clinic in Wollongong, NSW, the procedure is not dangerous. Moreover, we take every precaution to ensure your comfort during the procedure.

Finally, if you follow all after-care instructions, your recovery should not be extensive. To learn more about this skin tightening procedure, please contact us today at My Cosmetic Clinic in Wollongong, NSW to schedule your initial consultation. We hope to see you soon.