How to prepare for eyelid surgery
What to arrange before blepharoplasty, from the consultation and medication changes through to setting up at home and planning time away from work.
Eyelid surgery is a short operation with a straightforward recovery, and the preparation is correspondingly simple. It is still worth doing properly, because the parts people skip are the ones that cause problems.
The consultation
The surgeon examines the structure of the lids and establishes whether the operation is appropriate and which version of it applies. Bring your medical history: existing conditions, all current medication, and any previous surgery to the eyes or face.
Medication and general health
Stop blood-thinning medication — aspirin, ibuprofen and several herbal supplements among them — for the period your surgeon specifies, commonly around two weeks. Do not stop prescribed anticoagulation without instruction.
Stop smoking, and avoid alcohol, for the weeks before and after. Blood pressure and diabetes should be well controlled before an elective procedure rather than addressed afterwards.
Arranging help
This is usually done as a day case, so you will need someone to take you home — you cannot drive yourself. Arrange for someone to be with you for the first twenty-four to forty-eight hours.
Setting up at home
Have cold compresses ready. Arrange pillows so you can sleep with the head elevated, which does more to control swelling than anything else. Collect any prescribed antibiotics and analgesia in advance, and have gentle lubricating eye drops available.
Time off
Plan a minimum of one to two weeks away from work. Avoid heavy lifting and intense exercise for at least two weeks afterwards, and longer if you are told to.
The visible bruising is the constraint on returning to work rather than how you feel, and it is worth being honest with yourself about that when booking.
On the day
Wear loose clothing that opens at the front. No make-up, no lotions, no jewellery. Follow whatever fasting instruction you have been given.
What to expect afterwards
Mild swelling, bruising and discomfort, all of which settle over the following days and weeks. Use cold compresses through the first forty-eight hours. Do not rub or press the eyes. Attend every follow-up appointment.
The procedure this relates to
Surgery to the upper eyelid, the lower eyelid or both, removing or repositioning skin, fat and muscle. It is done to soften the changes that come with age, and where drooping upper lids obstruct the field of vision.
Before you act on this
Everything here is general. What applies to you depends on your anatomy, your history and what you are trying to achieve, and none of that can be assessed from a page. If a question here is yours, bring it to a consultation.