According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, almost 150,000 eyelid procedures were performed in 2009, mostly on women. Plastic surgery on the upper or lower eyelids, called blepharoplasty, repairs drooping eyelids that can interfere with vision and make a person look older than she is. Like any surgery, plastic surgery on the eyelids can cause complications, some of them serious. Most complications improve over time, while others may require further surgery, according to plastic surgeon Dr. Frank Meronk of Meronk Blepharoplasty in California.
Excessive Tissue Removal
Removal of too much fat, muscle or skin can cause serious complications that necessitate further surgery to correct. Too much skin removal from the upper eyelid may prevent the eyelids from closing completely when a person blinks or during sleep. Eyes dry out excessively if they don't close properly, which causes chronic irritation and can lead to damage to the cornea, the dome-shaped covering over the iris and pupil. Removing too much skin from the lower lid can pull the tear duct away from the surface of the eye, causing excessive tearing, Meronk says. Removing too much muscle from the lower lid can also result in closure problems. Excessive fat removal from upper or lower lid can result in abnormal appearance of the lids.
Scarring
Scarring can occur on the inside or outside of the eyelid. While visible scarring on the exterior may be unsightly, scarring on the interior layers can distort the eyelid and limit its movement.
Surface Eyeball Swelling
Fluid on the eyeball's surface caused by the swelling of the conjunctiva--the lining of the lower eyelid and eye--occurs in as many as 10 percent of cases after lower blepharoplasty, Meronk says. Chemosis can push the lower lid away from the eyeball, causing dryness and irritation. Most cases resolve in three weeks to three months but, in rare cases, can last six months or more.
Vision Loss
The most serious complication of blepharoplasty--vision loss--occurs rarely. Double vision, which may be temporary or permanent, occurs if scarring occurs in the muscles or fat around the eyelid. Further surgery may be required if double vision persists. Temporary decrease in visual acuity from swelling, tearing or from eye drop use commonly occurs within the first few days after surgery.
Blindness can occur if bleeding in the eye affects vision by raising the pressure inside the eye and damaging the retina or optic nerve. Symptoms of deep orbital hemorrhage, which occur in less than one in 10,000 cases of blepharoplasty, normally appear within the first 48 hours after surgery and include severe pain, double vision and visible bulging of the eye, Meronk says. Infection in the eye can also cause vision loss.
References
- Meronk Eyelid Plastic Surgery: Risks and Complications of Blepharoplasty
- NYU Lagnone: Blepharoplasty
- MayoClinic.com: Blepharoplasty
- Meronk Eyelid Plastic Surgery: Is This Ever Going to Heal?
- American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons Press Release: Despite Recession, Overall Plastic Surgery Demand Drops Only 2 Percent From Last Year
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