Inability to Close Eyelid after DES? Lagophthalmos

L

Linlin18

Member
Nov 26, 2015
146
38
#1
Just wondering if anyone have Lagophthalmos (or inability to close your eyelid completely) after double eyelid surgery? Here's an example of what it looks like: https://www.realself.com/question/close-eyes-fully-after-asian-eyelid-surgery

Personally, it's been 3-4 months now but one of my eye cannot fully close (like the picture). I'm really scared now. Anyone else share tips on resolutions to this? Doctors on realself said it should heal after 6 months but I've seen minimal improvements in 3 months.

Am I screwed? One eye is completely fine and the other isn't!!!! This is a disaster T_T I want to cry :sad:

Edit: On close up inspection, BOTH eyes have it. The gap in the other eye is tiny through.
 
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#2
I'm so sorry to hear that. Hopefully it will go away in the next 3 months. How much skin did your doctor remove? Did you have ptosis correction? I was able to close my eyes after surgery but I'm not happy about the skin my doctor removed.
 
#3
I'm really sorry to hear that. 3 months is early to judge (from what i heard) but... if you see no improvement after 6 months then you have to do revision to fix it.. i read so much information in ps websites and i saw some hospital offering revision for the problem you stated.
 
#4
gongcha said:
I'm really sorry to hear that. 3 months is early to judge (from what i heard) but... if you see no improvement after 6 months then you have to do revision to fix it.. i read so much information in ps websites and i saw some hospital offering revision for the problem you stated.
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Could you please direct me to these sites? I'm really reluctant to go get revision.. what if the doctor screw it up even more? I didn't mention in my post but I already got revision one week after ptosis correction because the eyelids were uneven -.- I don't really want them to screw up more =/

also @Hikaribelle, what part of the skin aren't you happy about?
 
#5
Linlin18 said:
Could you please direct me to these sites? I'm really reluctant to go get revision.. what if the doctor screw it up even more? I didn't mention in my post but I already got revision one week after ptosis correction because the eyelids were uneven -.- I don't really want them to screw up more =/

also @Hikaribelle, what part of the skin aren't you happy about?
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http://www.newyorkfacialplasticsurgery.com/revision-eye-lift-ectropion-repair-ptosis-repair.html

http://globalcindy.com/?page_id=3633

http://www.asiacosmeticsurgery.com/eng/qa.htm

it is called ptosis revisional. I read so much infos not only korean sites before I did my eyes to study.. I can't really find the small hospital info that I was ready awhile back but they also offer ptosis revision.. but then.. i think u can go to any hospital and they can do it for you..
 
#7
gongcha said:
http://www.newyorkfacialplasticsurgery.com/revision-eye-lift-ectropion-repair-ptosis-repair.html

http://globalcindy.com/?page_id=3633

http://www.asiacosmeticsurgery.com/eng/qa.htm

it is called ptosis revisional. I read so much infos not only korean sites before I did my eyes to study.. I can't really find the small hospital info that I was ready awhile back but they also offer ptosis revision.. but then.. i think u can go to any hospital and they can do it for you..
Click to expand...

Ah I didn't even know this existed. Thanks so much! I think I will wait a while to see if it recovers through. This really sucks >< It seems like a rare problem. I do recall the doctor being very aggressive (during surgery) on the eye that I can't close T_T

Hikaribelle said:
Linlin - I feel like the incisions/skin removal were uneven and I may still be swollen, but I have no crease when I look down. I want my skin back :nogood:
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Oh no D: how long ago did you get it done?
 
#8
I got DES 4 years ago and I didn't know what was causing my severe dry eye (or at least causing somewhat dry eye to become severe enough to require daily treatment) until recently. My optometrist pointed out my eyes do not close all the way. It's not too bad, you can't tell if you look but it's very slightly open and does make me really uncomfortable sometimes.

I think with the realself page you linked, I agree with the doctors that she is worrying too early about it since swelling can make it worse.

I don't think there is anything we can do about it other than use eye ointments and deal with dryness, especially if the surgeon removed fat and reduced any sagging (to the point it's too tight lol.)
 
#10
Linlin18 said:
Ah I didn't even know this existed. Thanks so much! I think I will wait a while to see if it recovers through. This really sucks >< It seems like a rare problem. I do recall the doctor being very aggressive (during surgery) on the eye that I can't close T_T



Oh no D: how long ago did you get it done?
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no problem! I just stumbled upon it and read thoroughly just in case i need revision some day.. if u do need revision pls dont try to find cheaper options like babitalk or other discount pls make sure ur surgeon is reputable and usually skin n fat removal or ptosis correction which is muscle connecting.. they use sleeping anesthesia then they wake u up at the end of surgery to make sure the crease was right.. if u do ptosis and they use local anesthesia on u, well.. he is a cheap *** doctor.. at least after reading and asking others this is the conclusion i came out with "FOR MYSELF" its ok if u don't believe me.. haha.. its just my own conclusion and im not a doctor so.. haha
 
#11
babysnow95 said:
I got DES 4 years ago and I didn't know what was causing my severe dry eye (or at least causing somewhat dry eye to become severe enough to require daily treatment) until recently. My optometrist pointed out my eyes do not close all the way. It's not too bad, you can't tell if you look but it's very slightly open and does make me really uncomfortable sometimes.

I think with the realself page you linked, I agree with the doctors that she is worrying too early about it since swelling can make it worse.

I don't think there is anything we can do about it other than use eye ointments and deal with dryness, especially if the surgeon removed fat and reduced any sagging (to the point it's too tight lol.)
Click to expand...

Oh. Did you optometrist said it was dangerous or could potentially damage your eye sight in any way? My eye gets really red towards the night. I actually got fat injected rather than removed. However, I suspect he was being too rough and damaged the levator muscle?

Hikaribelle said:
Linlin - It has been 6.5 weeks now. Do you know how much skin got taken off for you?
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I seriously have no idea... i had a lot of wrinkles before so he did fat injection on the upper lid and gave me proper double eyelid. I don't think he took that much skin off?

gongcha said:
no problem! I just stumbled upon it and read thoroughly just in case i need revision some day.. if u do need revision pls dont try to find cheaper options like babitalk or other discount pls make sure ur surgeon is reputable and usually skin n fat removal or ptosis correction which is muscle connecting.. they use sleeping anesthesia then they wake u up at the end of surgery to make sure the crease was right.. if u do ptosis and they use local anesthesia on u, well.. he is a cheap *** doctor.. at least after reading and asking others this is the conclusion i came out with "FOR MYSELF" its ok if u don't believe me.. haha.. its just my own conclusion and im not a doctor so.. haha
Click to expand...

I did go to a reputable clinic.... doctor wise .. the one I wanted wasn't there so I got another one (still not happy about this ><). I remember the clinic used local anesthesia but they informed me that's because the doctor wants me to open and close my eye during the surgery so he can check (SOO PAINFUL). I will visit a few optometrists and if they say I can live with this, I will probably avoid revision. One traumatic experience is enough D: I've heard stories of people who keep doing revisions and end up with even more problems. Anyways, thank you so much for your help so far!
 
#13
Linlin18 said:
Oh. Did you optometrist said it was dangerous or could potentially damage your eye sight in any way? My eye gets really red towards the night. I actually got fat injected rather than removed. However, I suspect he was being too rough and damaged the levator muscle?
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Nope, and she had no idea I got surgery as well. This happens to people naturally and it's not a very big deal other than discomfort. I personally don't think a revision will fix my case, and if anything make it worse haha. I still plan on revision due to not achieving the style I wanted.

I've been using this eye gel for the past week and it works wonders: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000URVDQ8?keywords=genteal&qid=1457905953&ref_=sr_1_1_s_it&s=hpc&sr=1-1
 
#14
babysnow95 said:
Nope, and she had no idea I got surgery as well. This happens to people naturally and it's not a very big deal other than discomfort. I personally don't think a revision will fix my case, and if anything make it worse haha. I still plan on revision due to not achieving the style I wanted.

I've been using this eye gel for the past week and it works wonders: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000URVDQ8?keywords=genteal&qid=1457905953&ref_=sr_1_1_s_it&s=hpc&sr=1-1
Click to expand...

Oh, what kind of revision do you have mind? I'm assuming it'll be a different clinic? I got some dry eye artificial drops from my optomoterist so I'm using them atm. How often do you use your medications? Sorry for asking so many questions haha XD
 
#15
I'm really sorry to hear about your case

From the pic you posted, it seems like the doc removed too much skin from your eyelids but it could also be ptosis overcorrection. Do you look surprised when you open your eyes? Over corrected ptosis usually leaves the patient with a surprised look. If it is ptosis over correction, you can look into levator muscle lowering. Just be careful because this might make your lids look bigger and your eyes might look sleepier if done incorrectly.

If your dr. removed too much eyelid skin, a common option is skin grafting.
If you can access medical articles, try to find some about different skin grafting techniques. This one talks about placing the skin graft in a supraciliary position on the upper eyelids, which produces a more cosmetically favourable result. If you can't access it, I have the full article I can send you.

I'm guessing both of these procedures are not easy so finding a specialized surgeon is important.

Have you spoken with your operating dr.? Maybe try asking about your case like how much skin he removed and what he suggests. Try speaking to a few specialists to get different opinions, including re-constructive plastic surgeons that specialize in eyes. They should help you identify if your eyes had ptosis overcorrection or too much skin removal or maybe another problem. Keep in mind that a good eyelid surgeon or revisional eyelid surgeon might not be skilled in skin grafts if it turns out that is what you need. If it turns out you do need another revision, ask the doctor how many cases of lagophthalmos they've worked on and how many levator muscle lowering and upper eyelid skin grafts they've done and the b&a pics for those cases.

You can't do any revision for a minimum of 6 months post-op and you might see some improvements by then. For now, just try to keep your eyes lubricated so you don't damage your cornea, especially when you're sleeping. This site talks about a few options like taping the lids and nighttime moisture goggles. Ask a few ophthalmologists for different opinions and see what options are right for you.

Good luck and pls keep us updated.
 
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