What You Need to Know About Your Upcoming Blepharoplasty

If you have loose skin around your eyes, it can cause a whole host of problems. The sagging skin might interfere with your vision or make you look older — or both. Fortunately, you’re not stuck with that excess skin.

Norman J. Pastorek, MD, offers a specialized kind of eye surgery called blepharoplasty. During this procedure, he removes excess skin from your upper eyelid, lower eyelid, or both. 

Dr. Pastorek has performed roughly 5,000 blepharoplasties for patients who visit our offices on Manhattan’s Upper East Side in New York City or in Madison, Connecticut. As a result, he, Janice Pastorek, BSN, RN, and the rest of our team can answer all of your questions and help you prepare. 

If you’ve got eyelid surgery scheduled, here’s what you need to know so you can be ready.

Follow Dr. Pastorek’s preparation instructions

First up, it’s important that you head into your surgery set up for success. To minimize risks, Dr. Pastorek might recommend preparatory steps like medical testing to see if you have any conditions that make you a less-than-ideal candidate for this procedure. Diabetes, eczema, dry eyes, and psoriasis, for example, can all cause complications with blepharoplasty. 

Dr. Pastorek may also advise changes to the medications and supplements you take. 

To get the best outcome from your blepharoplasty as fast as possible, you also need to avoid aspirin and anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen in the days leading up to your appointment. These can make you more likely to bruise or bleed excessively, hampering your recovery. 

Also, if you smoke, Dr. Pastorek absolutely recommends that you stop at least two weeks before your procedure. Smoking can significantly interfere with your body’s ability to heal. 

Be ready to rest at home

Dr. Pastorek performs blepharoplasty as an outpatient procedure. That means you don’t need to stay overnight when you have the surgery. 

That also means you should have your home set up for your recovery before your surgery date. Have ice packs handy, along with anything our team recommends. We may suggest a specific ointment to apply to your incisions, for example. 

As part of your blepharoplasty preparations, we also suggest finding darkly tinted sunglasses and a hat you like that shades your eyes. These can help you protect the surgery sites from the sun until they’re fully healed. 

Once you get home, keep your incisions clean and avoid swimming or rubbing your eyes. 

Have realistic expectations

Most people recover from blepharoplasty within a couple of weeks, although you might have some slight swelling and bruising past that point. 

Dr. Pastorek should communicate what your blepharoplasty will accomplish for you, but it’s key to understand what this procedure can and can’t do. Your eyelid surgery does remove excess skin around your eyes. It won’t eliminate dark circles or crow’s feet, though.

If those changes are important to you, talk with our team. We can often pair blepharoplasty with other treatments to help you achieve your ideal outcome. 

For any further questions you have about getting ready for your blepharoplasty, talk with us. Call either of our offices or book your appointment online today.