After any surgery, if you have sub-optimal results or are not satisfied with the outcome, you should always check back in with your surgeon as he/she will know what was done and should be able to offer a remedy for it.
During the first few weeks of surgery, when there is still swelling and bruising, the final results may not be apparent and the impression of a poor result may be due to swelling that will resolve with time. Conservative management with anti-swelling medication, cold compress and a low salt diet may help to reduce swelling and expedite recovery.
Most patients should be able to see the expected outcome after 2 weeks, but sometimes it may take as long as 2-3 months for the final result to be apparent. Due to the wound healing physiology, the worst times for a revision will be during these 2-3 months as there will be a lot of inflammation and bleeding, making it hard to ensure good results. Patience would be the best advice during the early weeks after surgery.
Some of the poor results from double eyelid surgery include:
- Asymmetry of folds
- Shallow crease giving rise to absent or poorly formed folds
- Deep crease giving an operated look
- Thick eyelid fold
- Thin eyelid fold
- Multiple creases
- The crease is too short
If you have waited sufficiently for the wounds to heal and swelling to settle, and you still feel that the results are poor, you should speak with your surgeon and decide on steps to correct the poor results. Depending on what needs to be revised, revision surgery could be a minor excision of excess skin or a re-do of the surgery. Revision surgery is usually more complicated than the primary surgery and there is usually more swelling and the recovery tends to be longer. Revision blepharoplasty, like all revision surgery, is often more challenging and less rewarding for both patient and surgeon, hence it is important to pick your primary surgeon well to reduce the need for any revisions.
