Eye Lid Risks

Potential Problems and the Telltale Signs

Dr. Loftus has found that, among her patients, eyelid surgery is most often uneventful and results in significant improvement. However, because Dr. Loftus feels that everyone needs to be aware of the following potential risks are associated with this operation:

Blurred vision
Blurred vision can be caused by irritation, swelling, or damage to any of the muscles that surround the eyeball and coordinate its movement. Often times these symptoms are temporary and resolve spontaneously.

Dry eye syndrome
A variety of circumstances could cause dry eye syndrome, but is most often related to lack of lower eyelid support following eyelid surgery, leading to a lower eyelid which is lower than optimal. This can often be prevented by a special suture that supports the lower eyelid through the healing process, also known as a canthopexy.

Inability to close your eyes
At times, the removal of too much upper eyelid skin can lead to the inability to close your eyes. In severe cases, skin grafting may be necessary to correct this problem.

Corneal abrasion
A corneal abrasion can occur during ANY operation, whether it be on the eyes or any part of the body, because the eyes may sometimes open during surgery, rendering them susceptible to being scratched by a member of the operating team. Treatment involves taping the eye shut for 2-3 days while it heals.

Hollow (sunken) eyes:
If you are uncertain as to what hollow or sunken eyes look like, look at old photos of Mary Tyler Moore. She appears to have had too much fat removed from her eyelids, leaving her with a sunken hollow appearance. This can usually be prevented through conservative removal of fat at the time of surgery.

Blindness
Blindness is caused by bleeding in the fat compartments after the surgery is over. Blindness occurs in fewer than 1 in 10, 000 people who undergo blepharoplasty. If you are not having fat removed, then this is not a concern.