My patients undergoing eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty, in Toronto often have questions about what to expect after surgery. But what about before surgery? In this blog post, let’s take a look at some of my top suggestions for preparing yourself for this satisfying procedure.
1. Stop Smoking: You already know that this is good advice in general, but it’s doubly important when you’re preparing for surgery. To minimize the risk of complications and ensure your body heals properly and efficiently, it’s best to stop smoking at least 4 weeks prior to your surgery. However, the more time between your last cigarette and your surgery, the better. If you can quit sooner than the 4-week mark, I recommend it.
2. Have a Helping Hand: Although eyelid surgery is outpatient and typically only performed with local anesthesia, it’s vitally important to have a trusted (adult) friend or family member drive you home and stay with you for at least the remainder of the day. Most eyelid surgery patients are comfortably up and moving about the house within a few hours of surgery, but it’s still important to have help with certain chores, child care, pet care, and more. Be sure someone you trust is willing and able to help you out after your surgery.
3. Ask Your Doctor: Regardless of whether you have eyelid surgery with me or someone else, only use medications and supplements approved by your surgeon for 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after surgery. This includes prescription medications. I carefully evaluate each patient’s individual health history before advising them on discontinuing any medications. Certain medications and supplements, including naturopathic supplements, can increase the risk of unnecessary bleeding and other complications after surgery.
4. Take Time Off: When performed on its own, blepharoplasty requires only a few days of recovery time. I recommend taking 2 weeks off of work to allow for maximum healing. You might have significant bruising for a few weeks post-op, but the skin is usually healed enough to cover up residual light bruising after about 10 days.
5. Receive an Eye Exam: Before scheduling surgery, consider receiving a routine eye exam from your optometrist to find out if the upper eyelid has begun to obstruct vision.
Curious about what you can expect from your own eyelid surgery? See the results that some of my previous patients have enjoyed in my gallery of before-and-after photos.
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