How long do I have to wait between double eyelid surgery and LASIK?

Doctor's Answers 3

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Dr Terence Goh

Plastic Surgeon

This is a very good and interesting question. Some patients have asked me if 1 month is enough? Here’s my answer:

Both LASIK surgery and double eyelid surgery can cause temporary dry eyes and tear deficiencies. Doing one before the other has fully recovered runs an increased risk of dry eyes and would not be advised, as one would need normal tear production to heal from the LASIK surgery. In addition, your eyelid closure may also be affected after the double eyelid procedure due to the swelling and this further aggravates the problem of dry eyes.

This swelling can take a week or two to subside, hence it is better to heal completely from your LASIK surgery before having the double eyelid surgery. Additionally, during eyelid surgery, it is a good practice to use eye shields as a protection and this may also disrupt the flap that was performed during LASIK surgery. There are many reasons to wait for your eyes to heal before going for the eyelid procedure.

Which one you do first is a matter of your priority but space the procedures far apart whichever the order is. If you haven't already, then speak with an experienced plastic surgeon to examine you and review options with you in person. If you choose to do LASIK surgery first, you should check if you still have dry eyes from the LASIK surgery.

Some of the signs would be fluctuation of vision, feeling of tiredness or dryness. Feel free to check in with your eye surgeon to make sure everything is ok and let him know your plans. I would suggest that a minimum of 1 month after LASIK surgery should have lapsed so that your eyes are given the proper time to heal before you consider double eyelid surgery.

I hope this answers your question! Feel free to get back to me if you have any others.

As the time to recover from laser vision correction (LASIK or ReLEx SMILE) is faster, I would suggest having laser vision correction first followed by double eyelid surgery.

Wait about 2 weeks after laser vision correction before proceeding with the eyelid surgery.

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Dr E-Shawn Goh

Ophthalmologist

What a wonderful question! One patient literally asked me the same question today.

In general its best to separate these surgeries by at least 1 month. However I have had some patients where these surgeries were performed on the same day. In particular these patients had surface ablation (epilasik) and / or SMILE / ReLex.

For patients who request for femto-laser assisted Lasik - I usually perform this a minimum of 1 month prior to the performance of the double-eyelid surgery.

You should consult your attending ophthalmologist and best discuss your options that are specific to your requirements. Best of luck in your surgeries!

ESG

Similar Questions

Is it possible for me to do LASIK if I have big eye nerves?

Embarking on the journey towards laser vision correction can be one fraught with conflicting information and differences of opinion even amongst eye surgeons. The criteria used to consider when a patient is suitable for LASIK are many. As with all forms of risk analysis, often the conclusion is made only when a multitude of factors converge to inform the surgeon if the patient sitting in front of him or her is a suitable candidate for LASIK.

How can I prevent blood clots on the whites of my eyes after LASIK?

Hi Susanne In the first step of the LASIK procedure, a ‘flap’ is created using a femtosecond laser (or, in the past, a special blade called a microkeratome). During this step, the laser is ‘connected’/docked to the eye with a ring-like device that grips the white part of your eye. You can watch an animation here: There are many small blood vessels on this part of the eye, and sometimes the suction pressure providing the grip may cause some of the blood vessels to leak some blood, causing red patches after the LASIK.

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