The most common complications of blepharoplasty are lagophthalmos and eyelid retraction. Lagophthalmos is the name we use to describe a complication of upper eyelid blepharoplasty which prevents the patient from closing his or her eyes completely. The inability to close the eyes causes corneal exposure and severe dry eye. Artificial tears and ophthalmic ointments are used as initial therapy, but a skin graft may be necessary in a few cases.
Eyelid retraction is the most feared complication of lower eyelid blepharoplasty. As in lagophthalmos, this complication also causes corneal exposure and ocular irritation. Severe dry eye symptoms such as pain, tearing and blurry vision may interfere with the patient’s daily activities. More importantly, there is a considerable psychologic and emotional impact. The surgical treatment of post blepharoplasty eyelid retraction is very complex, requiring multiple operations in not a few cases. The surgeon’s goal will be to restore eyelid function while attempting to preserve aesthetics.
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