What are the risks involved in eyelid plastic surgery?

There are some risks involved in eyelid plastic surgery: poor healing, unsightly scars, and prolonged swelling, among others. Most people will experience significant swelling and bruising after surgery for one to two weeks, depending on the surgery. These are not considered complications of the surgery, rather, they are normal postoperative responses. A surgical complication is an event directly related to the operation that was not expected and could have been prevented. Having said that, not all complications can be foreseen or prevented. Some complications are inevitable and unrelated to the surgical technique; for example, skin slough in smokers or hypertrophic scarring in African Americans. Eyelid surgery does carry the risk of dry eye in most people, but especially if done a few months after LASIK. Also, there are risks related to the anesthesia. However, most eyelid and facial plastic surgery procedures may be performed with local anesthesia and mild sedation, which has a low risk for complications.