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A recent study from the Indiana University School of Medicine evaluated the medical records of 892 patients who had undergone upper or lower lid eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) and looked at the incidence of dry eye. As a known complication following eyelid surgery, the researchers wanted to see just how common this really was.
After reviewing these charts and the information from patient questionnaires, they concluded that in their study population, as many as 26% of the patients experienced symptoms suggestive of dry eye following surgery. They also noted that these symptoms were significantly higher in patients who had undergone treatment of both upper and lower lids at the same time. Other factors that appeared to increase the risk for dry eye included being male, hormone therapy use, preoperative scleral show, eyelid laxity, and pre-existing dry eye.
So, what does this mean? Should you stay away from eyelid surgery altogether? Not necessarily.
Like any surgery, when performed on the right patient at the right time by the right physician there is a low incidence of overall complications and most patients are very pleased with their results. As many of you know, while my primary surgical focus is the breast and body, I do perform a good amount of blepharoplasty procedures every year. I have seen it literally remove 10-20 years of aging from my patient’s faces and dramatically change their appearance in the sense that they appear more rested, more energetic, and more awake. My goal is not to change the shape of your eyes and make you look different. Instead, my intent is to effectively clean up loose skin and excess fat from around the eyes that take away from this youthful appearance.
In my experience, the average person does experience some short-lived dry eye symptoms following this procedure and so I educated every one of my clients during the initial consultation about this potential risk and inform them not only about what to look for but also what they can do to reduce the symptoms if they do occur. A good blepharoplasty result, like any surgery, is a combination of both surgical skill as well as communication between myself, the surgeon, and you, the patient. The more educated and informed you are before surgery, the more likely you will experience a very smooth recovery after the surgery. And that is my goal.
I encourage you to email me ([email protected]) with any questions you have regarding this procedure and to visit my website. On that note, we are currently in the process of adding more patient photos and so please be patient if you don’t see a ton of before/after examples. They are coming.
Again, when performed correctly, a Denver Blepharoplasty can literally remove 10-20 years of aging from your appearance. I often combine a blepharoplasty with laser resurfacing, Botox, or other facial injectables to achieve an even greater more positive result.
Thanks again for visiting my blog. We look forward to working with you.