Doctor, what to prepare before and after eyelid surgery?

After you have decided to undergo an eyelid surgery, it would be helpful to know what preparation you can do to facilitate the procedure/ surgery. Also, what you can do after the procedure/ surgery to enhance the recovery.

The following is a list of before (pre) and after (post) procedure/ surgery instructions. Please note these instructions may vary between doctors.

PRE-OPERATIVE INSTRUCTIONS:

A. Medications:

The following medications, oil and herbs have blood thinning properties and should be stopped prior to surgery to reduce bleeding during surgery and thus will also reduce swelling and bruising after surgery .

Please STOP the following 2 weeks before and 1 week after procedure/ surgery:

1. Anticoagulants :- 1. Aspirin
                                 2. Clopidrogel (Plavix)
                                 3. Warfarin (need physician clearance)

2. Fish & Liver oil :- Omega-3, Cod Liver Oil, Salmon fish oil, Krill Oil
3. Flax Seed Oil
4. Vitamin E
5. Pain Killer :- Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
                          1. Ibuprofen (Brufen)
                          2. Mefenamic Acid (Ponstan)
                          3. Indometacin (Indocin)
                          4. Naproxen (Naprosyn)

6. Herbs / Traditional Medicine :- 1. Ginseng
                                                       2. Gingko Biloba
                                                       3. Dong Quai
                                                       4. Jamu etc
7. Smoking
8. Reduce Ginger and Garlic intake

If you have high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol, please CONTINUE the medications like normal.


B. Preparation from home:

1. The day before surgery, shampoo your hair. Before heading to your surgery, wash you face with cleanser and water. Do not apply any moisturizers, lotion or make-up.

2. Do not wear jewelries, including rings, bracelet, earrings.

3. If you wear contact lens, be prepared to remove them. Preferably, wear your glasses.

4. Bring a hat/ cap/ scarf and sunglasses to be worn after surgery to cover your eyes.

5. No need to fast as most eyelid procedures are performed under local anesthesia with or without sedation. You may take light meal on surgery day and resume normal meal or as tolerated after surgery.

6. Prepare ice or eye pack for compression after surgery.

7. If you have opted for sedation, please have someone accompany you after surgery.

8. Start supplement Vitamin C 2000-3000mg (Brand Ester C by Kordel available in pharmacy or Ester C by American Health in GNC)

POST-OPERATIVE INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Rest with your head elevated about 30 degrees.

2. Use ice packs immediately after surgery and for the first 2 days on the operated area as frequent as possible. You may alternate cold and warm compress after 2 days when the bruise begin to appear. Ice compression helps with swelling while warm compression helps to disperse the bruising.

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3. Please take pain medicine if in pain. If there's sharp, pricking pain, please contact your doctor.

4. Do not exercise or lift any heavy objects or bend down for the first week. You may walk around without exertion as mobility will improve blood circulation and helps with wound healing.

5. Apply the ointment prescribed as instructed.

6. Take high dose vitamin C (2-3gm/day) to enhance wound healing.

7. You may take shower and wash your face but be very gentle with the incision site. You may dap dry the incision area but please do not rub.



THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT POST-OPERATIVE RECOVERY:

1. The swelling will worsen for the first 48 hours before it gradually resolves.

2. Occasional discharge including blood, tears and mild oozing is normal. However, if there's continuous fresh blood discharge, please contact your doctor.

3. Sutures are removed 1 week after surgery

4. Avoid direct sunlight to your eyelids esp if incision was made on the skin. Cover the incision site with the ointment prescribed.

5. 70-80% of swelling and bruising is usually gone at 2 weeks, it may take several months for the remaining swelling to completely dissipate. Final results usually take upto 6 months. This is normally applied to incision on the eyelids. Suture method for double eyelid usually take shorter downtime.

6. Numbness, swelling, tingling sensation, itching, discoloration, bumpiness, crusting, tightness and redness around the incisions are normal and should resolve with healing.


If you have further questions, kindly call 03-22846090 or email alicegoh@isec.my

What can happen if double eyelid procedure is not done right? 如果双眼皮手术过程没有对的话会发生什么事情呢？

Of late, I have seen quite a number of complications following double eyelid procedure which prompted me to write about this issue.

I am extremely burdened and wish to educate the public of the possible complications, some of which may be sight threatening. A seemingly simple procedure such as double eyelid, if done by the wrong hands can prove futile. Worse, one may potentially become blind.

The common and less dangerous problems with double eyelid procedure using suture method are uneven lid crease and lid crease may be short-lived. The more serious complications such as eyelid infection, bleeding and even corneal abrasion may lead to infection and eventually, blindness. 

I recently treated an unfortunate young lady whose wish to have double eyelids ended with a series of tormenting experiences which she described as her worst nightmare. Through the recommendation of some popular bloggers, she had her double eyelid performed by a non-qualified professional.

The patient developed irritation in the left eye few days after the procedure. The irritation then became discomfort and eventually she couldn't open her eyes due to sharp excruciating pain, swollen eyelid and constant tearing. To my horror, she had developed a corneal abrasion caused by an exposed suture underneath the eyelid which rubbed against the cornea. Thankfully she had seen another eye doctor earlier and was given antibiotics eye drops which had helped to keep the bugs at bay. Otherwise she would have developed a nasty corneal infection. The suture underneath the eyelid was not noticeable at first. It took a while to finally locate the suture. A small incision had to be made to remove the suture as it was difficult to pinpoint the exact origin of the exposed suture. 

The left eyelid was later resutured so that the eyelids would not look lopsided. The right eyelid was also resutured as the eyelid crease had become faint two months after the initial procedure. 

I hope this serves as a valuable lesson to all. Please do not take your eyes lightly. You only have a pair of eyes and it's not worth risking them. If any of you wish to have double eyelid procedure, please do your research to identify the correct professional to perform the procedure, one who is not only able to perform the procedure but is also able to manage the complications should they arise. And if you experience any discomfort or irritation after double eyelid procedure, please contact your doctor immediately.

Useful links below ::

To check if a doctor is registered with Malaysian Medical Council (MMC), you may search under medical register using the link below.

Malaysian Medical Council Medical Register

To determine if a doctor is a specialist registered with the National Specialist Register (NSR), click on link below.

Malaysian National Specialist Register

Good Luck! 

Disclaimer: Pictures published with permission. 

She was unable to open her eyes due with eyelid swelling, tearing and sharp pain in the left eye.
 There were visible sutures floating underneath the skin.

The left cornea is stained green with fluorescein which showed a large
corneal defect involving almost the entire lower half of the cornea.
The picture on the right shows a normal healthy cornea just 2 days after treatment.

At a glance, there was no suture seen (upper pic).
After manipulation and a small incision, the suture was identified and removed (lower pic).

The crease in the right eye has become faint approximately 2 months after
the initial procedure (left pic). The eyelid was resutured (right pic).

Before and After
(1 week after right resuturing procedure, right eyelid still slightly swollen)

Advances in Aesthetics & Cosmetic Eyelid Surgery from Korea and USA

Hi friends from the Northern region esp Penang, International Specialist Eye Center (ISEC) Penang is organizing an update on 'Advances in Aesthetics & Cosmetic Eyelid Surgery from Korea & USA' featuring Dr Alice Goh, a board certified Oculoplastic Surgeon trained in Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea & UCLA, Los Angeles, USA.

Come and join us for a fun-filled day and learn from the professionals on new advances, what you should know about aesthetic treatments, DOs & DONTs, door gifts, Live Demo and Lucky Draws.

You could win yourself a FREE double eyelid + epicanthoplasty correction and other beauty treatments to be won!

Lunch will be served.

Agenda
1000H Registration & Door Gifts
1030H New concepts in Facial Aging
1045H New Advances in Aesthetics & Cosmetic Eyelid Surgery
1130H DOs & DONTs
1145H Lucky Draw
1200H Lunch
1230H Q & A Ask the experts
1300H Live Demo on aesthetic treatments and delivery of treatments for lucky draw winners

Date:    Thursday 16 October 2014
Time :  1000H - 1400H
Venue: 229, Jalan Burma, Penang
www.isecpenang.my

Please call/ email for free registration

Call 04 228 8802
 jocelynchong@isec.my