August 2015 - Fante Eye & Face Centre

What Can I Expect After Eyelid Surgery?

Blepharoplasty is the medical term for what we know commonly as “eyelid surgery,” which is typically an elective surgery that men and women choose to have to improve the appearance of their eyelids. However, eyelid surgery in Denver is also performed to help improve people’s sight. If you have drooping eyelids, bags under your eyes, or an excess of skin and wrinkles, blepharoplasty may be recommended. At the Fante Eye & Face Centre, you can have eyelid surgery in Denver performed by a knowledgeable, experienced cosmetic surgeon who really cares about his patients.

If you are considering eyelid surgery, Dr. Robert G. Fante is a highly respected cosmetic surgeon who has been performing eyelid and other surgeries on people from Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, and other states for many years now. If you have already scheduled a surgery or are contemplating making an appointment at the Fante Eye & Face Centre, there are some things you want to learn about first. For instance, you may be wondering how long it will take you to recover, what recovery will be like and how long it will be before you can go back to work. These are all very important topics that Dr. Fante and his team will cover prior to scheduling your surgery date.

What to Expect After Eyelid Surgery

Once you get home after surgery, you may be a bit alarmed at the amount of swelling and bruising around your eyes, but don’t worry. This is completely normal, and over time, the swelling and bruising will be completely gone. Like any surgery, recovery time varies from patient to patient, and how well you follow post-op instructions definitely plays a role in how well the recovery process goes. Most patients can see well enough to return to work in a few days, and will find that the vast majority of the swelling and bruising are gone in approximately one-two weeks. Your incisions and bruising may still be visible, but most patients feel ready to return to work or social activities right around the one to two week mark.

Here are some tips to speed up your eyelid surgery recovery. Most importantly, follow our post-op instructions to the letter. You can treat your incisions with ointment, put cold compresses over your eyes, get plenty of rest and elevate your head throughout your recovery will help you heal faster. Also, for the first couple of weeks, avoid activities that will dry out your eyes; watching TV, reading, or using the computer for long periods of time all put strain on your eyes which is not conducive to the healing process.

During your recovery from eyelid surgery in Denver, you may wake up in the mornings and think the recovery is slower than you’d like, but don’t worry because mornings are the worst part of the day for eyelid surgery patients. You will improve as the day goes on and gravity takes over.

While the pain associated with eyelid surgery is fairly minimal, every patient is prescribed some sort of prescribed pain medication for a few days. Many people report that they didn’t need prescription pain pills and that acetaminophen (Tylenol) is enough. In any case, Dr. Fante will only prescribe the medications that he feels will work best for you. Finally, please avoid taking anything with aspirin as these drugs may thin your blood and cause bleeding. For those who were on baby aspirin prior to their eyelid surgery, you can resume the baby aspirin two weeks after surgery.

If you’d like to learn more about eyelid surgery in Denver, please contact the experienced, compassionate and knowledgeable cosmetic surgery team at the Fante Eye & Face Centre today. We will get you scheduled for your initial consultation as soon as possible.

Recovery and Care After Asian Eyelid Surgery

Denver Cosmetic Surgery

Recovery Tips for Eyelid Surgery

If you’re going to have eyelid surgery in Denver soon, you probably want to know what to expect as far as recovery is concerned, and it would be helpful, also, to learn some tips to make your eyelid surgery recovery go as smoothly as possible. Dr. Fante at the Fante Eye & Face Centre has performed eyelid surgery on people living in the Colorado, Kansas, and Wyoming area for many years now, and we’d like to offer some information to help your recovery from eyelid surgery in Denver be as comfortable and short-lived as possible.

Tips for Eyelid Surgery Recovery

The first recommendation is to have your surgery performed by a highly reputable cosmetic surgeon, such as Dr. Robert G. Fante. All surgeries, including all elective cosmetic surgeries, carry with them a number of risks, so it’s absolutely imperative that you entrust your care and your life to the most capable hands. Once you have chosen a cosmetic surgeon you trust and like, you can begin to prepare for the days and weeks following your eyelid surgery. Make sure you get all prescriptions filled before the day of the surgery because you’ll want to have the antibiotics and pain medications readily accessible as soon as you return home from the surgery.

Once you are home resting comfortably, be sure to keep your head elevated as much as possible. After eyelid surgery, it’s very helpful to keep your head above the level of the rest of your body especially when sleeping. Keeping your head elevated will reduce swelling, which will promote faster healing. You can use two to three pillows to prop up your head, or you can purchase an inclined foam wedge, which will also do the job of keeping your head up nicely. You will have some benefit from keeping your head elevated while recumbent for at least the first 3 to 7 days.

Keep a cold or ice compress on your eye area to help reduce swelling and bruising for the first 36 hours. Although you don’t need to do this while your sleeping at night, you should try for 20-30 minutes out of each hour you’re awake on the day of surgery and the entire next day. After that, some people find that alternating cold and warm compresses feels good and helps resolve swelling and bruising..

Another way to prevent or reduce bruising is to use homeopathic Arnica Montana. You can obtain this at our office or at a health food store. Details can be found in your surgery packet provided for your surgery.

Avoid putting your eyes through any unnecessary stress; usually it is OK to briefly work, or use a computer, and television or movies are fine.. You must avoid playing contact sports, strenuous physical exertion, wearing contact lenses and applying make-up for the first week. Keep your eyes clean at all times; hydrogen peroxide on a Q-tip will help with this. You may shower as usual on the second day after surgery. Apply the antibiotic ointment that was prescribed to the stitches twice daily. You will have a check-up appointment about one week after surgery. Dr. Fante and his staff will provide very specific instructions on how to care for your eyes following eyelid surgery in Denver.

Protect your eyes from the sun when you go out, and protect your eyes from dust and other particles by wearing some type of eyeglass protection when in dusty environments. Use artificial tears eye drops as necessary; your eyes may tend to get dry and itchy following surgery, and you must avoid rubbing them. Eye drops will help keep your eyes moist and will wash off any particles that get into your eyes. If itching and redness seem to be worsening, call our office for instructions since it is possible that you could be allergic to an eye drop or ointment.
Make sure you get plenty of rest in the days immediately following surgery, and be sure to following Dr. Fante’s post-op instructions to the letter. If you ever have any questions about your eyelid surgery recovery or if you experience any problems, please contact the Fante Eye & Face Centre immediately.

Facts About Asian Eyelid Surgery

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Double eyelid surgery is commonly referred to as “Asian eyelid surgery” due to the fact that most people who choose to have this surgery performed are Asian. Approximately 50% of the entire Asian population has a crease and fold in the area right above their eyelashes, and Asian eyelid surgery creates a crease and fold in the eyelid for those who don’t have one or for whom it is asymmetric or indistinct. Once it is healed, the patient will have a fold that runs parallel to the origin of the eyelashes.

Dr. Robert G. Fante at the Fante Eye & Face Centre has performed Asian eyelid surgery on hundreds of patients over the years, and he is one of the most highly respected cosmetic surgeons in the area. If you’re considering having blepharoplasty, you want to have it done by someone with Dr. Fante’s knowledge and experience. Our cosmetic surgery team is kind, compassionate and patient, so any questions you may have will be answered prior to the day of surgery. Should any questions arise after the surgery, we’ll be right here for you to help your recovery be as comfortable and short-lived as possible.

Caucasian vs. Asian Eyelids

When comparing Caucasian and Asian eyelids, the eyelid fold position is one of the main differences you’ll find. Asians who do not have the crease present above their eyes will not have a fold and will have a different appearance than Caucasians. As the crease progresses away from the nose, it becomes slightly higher until the pupil’s midpoint, and this is where the fold will run parallel to the eyelash origins. Asians overall usually have a lower eyelid crease than Caucasians, and usually have a more prominent epicanthus, the name for the vertical fold near the nose.

Caucasian eyelids are different in size and shape, although the differences are not dramatic. Typically, the eyelid will taper closer to the eyelashes near the nose, and the fold will be flat, or even drop laterally,—hence, it is not always parallel to the eyelashes. The space for makeup will be about 20% larger than the Asian eyelid since the crease and fold are typically higher. The main goal of Asian eyelid surgery is to create a natural-looking Asian crease, and that is exactly what Dr. Fante will do should you choose to have this surgery performed.

There are a variety of surgical techniques for Asian eyelid surgery, so a thorough medical history and physical examination are the first steps necessary to plan the best course of treatment for your eyelid concerns. Dr. Fante and his team will explain the options to you, discuss the most favorable operative technique for your particular case and answer all of your questions.

To learn more about Asian eyelid surgery, stay tuned to the Fante Eye & Face Centre’s blog to find out what to expect as you recover from eyelid surgery (medically known as blepharoplasty). Please contact our office to schedule an initial consultation with Dr. Fante. We’ll get you in as soon as possible, and we’ll let you know if Asian eyelid surgery would achieve the goals you have in mind.

What Can I Expect After Eyelid Surgery?

Recovery and Care After Asian Eyelid Surgery

Facts About Asian Eyelid Surgery

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