A. Most people report minimal discomfort during blepharoplasty performed under local anesthesia with oral sedation. Compared to general anesthesia, local anesthesia is associated with less bleeding during eyelid lift surgery, enhanced precision, faster recovery, increased safety, and more predictable results.

A. The majority of patients report mild aching or burning, which is usually well controlled with the use of Tylenol and cold compresses.

A. Swelling peaks on the morning after surgery and mostly resolves over the next two weeks. A small amount, however, may persist for several months.

A. Although variable, most people experience moderate discoloration that begins to fade soon after surgery and is mostly gone by ten days.

A. While most normal tasks can be resumed within two days, too much activity during the first week will increase swelling. Strenuous activities should be avoided for at least ten days. Most people prefer to “lay low” for several weeks.

A. In the upper eyelid, the incision line is hidden in the crease. In the lower eyelid, the incision is placed along the back of the eyelid or just below the lashes. While full thinning and whitening of any scar on the body may take six months or more, eyelid keloids are rare.

A. Many patients consider Dr. Jane Chung for precisely this reason.

A. No surgeon is perfect, no wound heals perfectly, no patient possesses perfect pre-existing anatomy, and some operations work better on one patient than on the next. A realistic expectation is that you should achieve about a 75-90% improvement in the upper eyelids and a 60-80% improvement in the lower eyelids.* Some final asymmetry is the rule rather than the exception.

*Individual results may vary.