How To Fix Lagophthalmos After Blepharoplasty?

Lagophthalmos is a condition in which you’re not able to close one or both of your eyes properly. They remain open, causing irritation, dry, red, or watery eyes, causing discomfort and aesthetic issues.

The lagophthalmos after blepharoplasty is usually due to excessive skin removal, varied healing patterns, improper surgical techniques, or pre-existing conditions before the surgery. So, how to fix lagophthalmos after blepharoplasty?

You can fix it with various treatments such as conservative management, surgical options, managing underlying conditions, and follow-up care. Let’s discuss and understand the symptoms, causes, and available treatments for lagophthalmos after blepharoplasty to fix it promptly.

What Is Lagophthalmos?

Lagophthalmos is an eye disorder in which you cannot fully close one or both eyes. They stay open, and you have to forcefully close them. It’s a frustrating issue, limiting eye control and causing difficulty sleeping and doing your work. 

Due to staying open for a long time, the eyes can get irritated, dry, red, and watery, which isn’t only an aesthetic issue, but it also keeps you uncomfortable all the time.

This condition may happen alone or along with conditions like ptosis (droopy eyelids). It’s usually a side effect of eyelid surgery, which is also known as blepharoplasty.

Types of Lagophthalmos

The types of lagophthalmos include nocturnal, mechanical, and paralytic lagophthalmos.

• Nocturnal lagophthalmos: It’s the type when you’re sleeping, but your eyes aren’t closed properly.
• Mechanical lagophthalmos: This type of lagophthalmos is caused by swelling or scarring that stops the eye from closing. It’s more relevant in blepharoplasty.
• Paralytic lagophthalmos: When the weak or damaged eyelid muscles keep your eyes from closing properly, it’s paralytic lagophthalmos.

Symptoms Of Lagophthalmos

Lagophthalmos symptoms after blepharoplasty include:

• Eyes not closing fully
• Dryness and irritation
• Redness in the eyes
• Watering or tearing
• Blurry vision at times
• Burning or stinging sensation
• Discomfort while sleeping
• Sensitivity to light

Causes of Lagophthalmos After Blepharoplasty

Lagophthalmos after eyelid surgery is usually caused by excessive skin/tissue removal, pre-existing conditions, healing or anatomy differences, and surgical errors.

Excessive skin/tissue removal

Excessive tissue or skin removal is typically a surgical error that makes the eyelid too tight. This then causes the eyes to not close properly.

Pre-existing conditions

Another reason for lagophthalmos after eyelid surgery is having pre-existing conditions such as dry eye, thyroid eye disease, or ptosis.

Healing and anatomy differences

Healing patterns are different for everybody after surgery. Some people tend to have more issues like lagophthalmos than others.

Surgical technique errors

Sometimes, the cause of lagophthalmos after eyelid surgery is inaccurate incisions or surgical errors that can lead to this issue.

How to Fix Lagophthalmos after Blepharoplasty?

You can fix the lagophthalmos after lid surgery with non-surgical treatments,  surgical treatments, managing the underlying issues, and follow-up care.

Conservative Management

The lagophthalmos complication of blepharoplasty can be fixed with non-surgical treatments as well. Such as:

• Artificial tears/eye drops: Artificial tears or eye drops keep your eyes moist and also reduce irritation.
• Taping eyes shut: It’s a temporary way to protect the eye while sleeping. It’s the most common non-surgical treatment of lagophthalmos after eyelid surgery that is recommended by surgeons.
• Eyelid exercises/therapy: You can try out eyelid exercises or therapy that strengthen the muscles and improve eyelid closure.

Fixing Related Problems

If pre-existing eye conditions such as thyroid eye disease caused the lagophthalmos to worsen, treat them first. Seek medical help.

Follow-Up Care

The surgeons schedule regular checkups for tracking your healing progress, adjusting the treatments, and keeping the eye safe. Never miss them.

Surgical Options

If the above treatments for lagophthalmos don’t work for you, you can take the surgical treatments.

• Revision blepharoplasty: It’s a revision eyelid surgery that is done to correct the over-removal of skin or any other surgical errors, fixing the lagophthalmos.
• Skin grafts/flaps: It’s another surgical treatment for the issue that adds skin if the eyelid is too short for proper closure.
• Canthoplasty: This treatment tightens or rebuilds the eyelid corners for better support and closure.
• Gold weight implantation: If the upper lid has become too weak to support closure, this treatment adds weight to it.

Legal Aspects of Negligence In Cosmetic Surgery

Removing excessive tissue, skin, or making any surgical errors comes into the legal aspect of negligence in cosmetic surgery. It’s applied when the patient wasn’t informed about the risks of the surgery, such as lagophthalmos. 

Patients can pursue legal action, proving negligence like damage or breach of duty, to seek compensation. The compensation usually includes coverage of corrective surgery costs, pain, and suffering.

Asli Tarcan Clinic: Eye Rejuvenation Without Complications

Lagophthalmos is a complication of eyelid surgery that is usually caused by excessive skin/tissue removal, different healing patterns, or surgical errors. It keeps you from closing your eyes properly. The lagophthalmos has three main types such as nocturnal, paralytic, and mechanical. So, how to fix lagophthalmos after blepharoplasty? 

You can fix it with the non-surgical treatments such as artificial tears/eye drops, eye ointments, taping eyes shut, eyelid exercises/therapy. Fix the underlying issues, such as dry eye, thyroid eye disease, by taking medical help.

Also, don’t miss any follow-up sessions so that your surgeons can identify the issues on time and fix them.

If none of these methods work, you can take the surgical treatments for lagophthalmos that include revision blepharoplasty, skin grafts/flaps, canthoplasty, and gold weight implantation. If you’re considering blepharoplasty to fix your drooping eyes, under-eye bags, or darkness, you can count on the Asli Tarcan Clinic.

Our double-board-certified plastic surgeons have done hundreds of such surgeries with 5-star reviews and a success rate without any complications. Contact us today.

How long does lagophthalmos last after blepharoplasty?

If it’s normal, it may resolve on its own within a few days or weeks after the surgery.

How do you correct lagophthalmos?

You can correct lagophthalmos with non-surgical care such as drops, taping or exercises. Or you can try surgical treatments such as revision blepharoplasty, skin grafts/flaps, canthoplasty, and gold weight implantation.

Does lagophthalmos go away?

Yes, if they’re mild and caused by swelling, they go away within a few days or weeks.