Dry Eyes and Eyelid Surgery

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), dry eye syndrome is a condition in which there are either not sufficient tears to properly lubricate the eyes, or the tears themselves are of poor quality. It is more often seen in women, as compared to men. Dry eye syndrome can also be the result of certain medical conditions or medications such as antihistamines or decongestants. However, the most common reason for dry eye syndrome is increasing age. According to the AAO, an estimated 3.2 million women ages 50 and older and 1.68 million men ages 50 and older suffer from dry eye syndrome.

Another trait common to older people is a desire to look more youthful and revitalized. Much of this revolves around various cosmetic procedures done on the face, ranging from facelifts, to dermal filler injections, to eyelid surgery to remove bags under the eyes and raise drooping eyelids. In fact, eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) was the most commonly performed procedure on patients between the ages of 40 and 54 among plastic surgeons who were members of the American Society for Plastic Surgeons. More than 92,000 such procedures were performed in 2013, which was a 7 percent increase from 2012.

Given all of this data, it should not be surprising that many older patients consult the staff at Jefferson Plastic Surgery about the possibility of undergoing eyelid surgery. Furthermore, a good proportion of these older patients may also suffer from dry eye syndrome. This may lead patients to ask if undergoing eyelid cosmetic surgery will exacerbate their dry eye syndrome.

Eyelid Cosmetic Surgical Procedure

An upper eyelid surgical procedure is designed to reduce the appearance of drooping, puffy eyelids, while a lower eyelid procedure reduces the appearance of bags, puffiness, and circles under the eyes. For an upper eyelid procedure, a series of small incisions are made in the natural crease of the eyelid. The skin is then gently lifted up, pulled tight to remove excess loose skin, and then sutured back into place. In a lower eyelid procedure, an incision is made along the lower lash line. Excess skin, tissue, and fat deposits are then removed before the skin is sutured back into place. The overall effect of eyelid surgery is a face that looks more youthful, alert, and refreshed.

Will Eyelid Surgery Affect Dry Eyes?

For the most part, eyelid surgery may make the eyes more dry and irritated during the healing process. Patients with dry eye syndrome are strongly encouraged to talk to their ophthalmologist and discuss methods to increase tear production and tear quality following the surgical procedure. Patients may find that they will have to increase their use of artificial tears during the healing period.

An article published in the March 2004 issue of the Archives of Facial and Plastic Surgery looked at the outcome of 67 patients with dry eye syndrome who underwent eyelid cosmetic surgery. Five patients had worsening of dry eye symptoms, five had improvement in symptoms, and 50 showed no change. The researchers concluded that eyelid surgery could be safely performed on patients with dry eye syndrome.

Older patients with dry eyes should discuss any concerns with their ophthalmologist. Working in collaboration with the staff at Jefferson Plastic Surgery will provide the patient the best possible outcome without worsening any dry eye symptoms.