<p>Yes. I expect you will. I went to Disneyland in sunglasses though a few days later. Good luck.</p>
<p>Bruising aside, how does one feel a day or so later? I work from home, so no one needs to see me, but would I be capable of actually working??</p>
<p>Hypothetically speaking, if one were planning to start a new job and wanted to have an upper bleph after leaving the old job but before starting the new one, how much time should one allow? Assume the patient doesn’t want to show up for the new job with bruises or giant sunglasses. </p>
<p>And how significant of a risk is there that the results will look like obvious plastic surgery? I detest the plastic-surgery look but feel like my eyes have been looking tired lately. (I’m 48.)</p>
<p>VH - I felt fine next day, but it was difficult to watch TV or be on my computer for few days. So, it really depends what you need to do at home. </p>
<p>I went back to work after a week. I had to use some makeup to cover up some discoloring. I think 2 weeks should be plenty.</p>
<p>Works so far. Be sure to keep ice on it…if you have someone to read to you, get the Sweet Potato Queens Book of Love. Funny take on eye surgery You evidently need the younger new man changing your ice packs hourly…</p>
<p>I would allow 2 weeks before starting the new job. Some people hardly bruise at all but you never know. If you are only doing the upper lids, there’s a good chance that you might have very little bruising. I have seen several friends a few days after uppers only and you really couldn’t tell they had surgery (in terms of bruising and swelling). I felt fine after the first few days. The swelling peaked big time on Day 3 and then it went down significantly from there over the week.</p>
<p>I emphasized over and over to my surgeon that I subscribed to the philosophy that ‘less is more’ when it comes to plastic surgery. He totally agreed. It said he is always happy to go back and do more later (for free within a reasonable length of time) but once you overdo it, it’s difficult to fix. </p>
<p>Don’t let yourself get talked into a brow lift. At the very least, get a second opinion if your first consult suggests that. Brow lift can significantly contribute to that ‘overdone’ look. Not saying some people don’t need them but that’s where you run the risk of the ‘surprised look’.</p>
<p>MD here who does blepharoplasty.
This is what I tell my patients:
- Bruising and swelling last 2 weeks, but it can vary quite significantly from person to person. Some last less than 1 week to up to 4 weeks.
- You can work right away, but your vision is blurry for 2 weeks. Blurry for reading and computer work. Artificial tears (thick ones like Refresh liquigel) can help with some of this in the post op period. (you can also try to make the font on your computer very large)
- Makeup can be used to over any bruising that lasts over 2 weeks.
- Ice packs like crazy will reduce the length of time of bruising and swelling
- Bruising and swelling will be at it’s worst on post op day 3, then start to get better</p>
<ol>
<li>To avoid the “obvious” plastic surgery look, best to go to an oculoplastic surgeon (Ophthalmology residency/Oculoplastic surgery fellowship) as first option, or facial plastic surgeon (ENT residency/FPS fellowship)</li>
<li>An overlifted brow lift is what gives people the “surprised,” surgical look. That being said, some patients will look just so awesome with a brow lift in terms of an open, pleasing expression, decreased forehead wrinkles and bridge of nose wrinkles, etc. It’s important to assess this based on an individual patient’s anatomy, ethnicity, and desires. OTOH, It’s kind of trendy now to have a low brow because all of the celebs use botox, which lowers the brow (because they can’t raise their foreheads much). Treatment should be tailored to what the patient thinks looks good rather than what the current trends are.</li>
</ol>
<p>@YohoYoho, is it wise to bring a picture of oneself, or just leave it to the surgeon to do his thing?</p>
<p>Best to bring a photo of yourself taken approx. 15-30 years prior. You can give it to your surgeon to borrow on the day of surgery.</p>
<p>I’ll have to see if I have one! I am extremely camera-shy. </p>
<p>Wedding photo?</p>
<p>Can a patient who lives alone manage or should they plan for a caregiver, post surgery? My sister is on her own now would love to have this surgery. (She is fiercely independent but I think she just hates the idea of imposing on others to help her for such things.)</p>
<p>She will need to have someone drive her home post surgery. She should be able to manage on her own after she is home if she can manage to put eye drops in her eyes. I wasn’t in pain, so I was able to do everything. Make sure she has enough food in the house for few days because she won’t want to go out, and get the prescriptions filled out before the surgery.</p>
<p>At my place they require that someone bring you and stay there until you are done to take you home. You can have one person bring you and another person take you home, but there has to be an in-person hand-off: no dropping you off and leaving. They tell me to expect to be there for 2 1/2 hrs total, and to plan to do very little for the next 2-3 days but change the ice packs. 
So unless she has a rambunctious dog to walk, as I do, she could be just fine on her own. I’m told my doctor recommends only extra-strength Tylenol for pain, if necessary. </p>
<p>For pts who live alone and don’t want any help I tell them to do 1 eyelid at a time and do it in the office rather than a surgery center so that the only anesthesia is an injection in the eyelid. </p>
<p>Apparently the anesthesia my doc uses is similar to what is used for a colonoscopy: it’s not general anesthesia, but you aren’t aware of what is going on. Quicker recovery…</p>
<p>Doing one eyelid at a time was my response to @panhandlegal whose sister would want to have surgery but lives by herself and wants to stay independent during the postop period.</p>
<p>Hi YoHo, it is very nice of you to take the time to explain this procedure during your “off” time. I am 54 and have started considering this for a year. It’s really just been in the past 2 years that I’ve noticed the droopiness. Like you said in another response, there are those of us who have always had a heavier upper eyelid. I am one of those. I have small eyelids (eyes in general) and heavier upper eye. Even young, you couldn’t see much of my eyelid, but that was OK. I don’t want the more hollowed out look just so you could see my little bitty lids. They’re just drooping now and slanting towards the outside, and a little crepey. They aren’t touching the eyelash, but are close to that towards the end, mainly when I’m more tired. Everyone thinks I look fine, but when I see pics of myself all I see is that big upper eyelid and absolutely no lids</p>
<p>My concern is that I wear hard, gas permeable contact lenses. I worry that too much will be taken off and i won’t be able to close my eyes properly or wear them because of something going wrong. I can’t wear soft contact lenses, I’ve tried many times. I have good tear flow, but the soft ones make them red, dry and sore. Anyway, have you had an patients that have had problems wearing their contacts after this surgery?</p>
<p>Hijacking this thread, but it’s still related to plastic surgery. </p>
<p>When you identify the appropriate specialist, how do you decide which one to use if you have choices? I have a torn earlobe–my PCP recommended two plastic surgeons. I made an appointment with each one–both said the same thing to say about the repair. One is older and more experienced. The other is younger–just a couple of years older than my oldest child. I’m leaning toward the young guy because he’s young and enthusiastic–had a positive attitude. The older doc says he has done this repair hundreds of times. Who to pick?</p>
<p>^^^I think it doesn’t really matter, as I don’t think it’s that big of a procedure. Pick the one in your network and who can accommodate you at the time you want to have the surgery.</p>