Preparing for lower eyelid surgery is mostly about the fortnight afterwards, and the single most useful thing you can do is find out which version of the operation you are having.
That one answer decides whether you will have stitches, how long you should stay if you are travelling, and how much bruising to expect.
A countdown that works
Timings are indicative, and anything medical here is confirmed by your surgeon rather than taken from a web page.
| When | What to do | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 4 weeks before | Report every eye condition, especially dry eye | The lower lid spreads your tears; dryness gets worse first |
| 4 weeks before | Stop smoking if advised; disclose all medication and supplements | Healing and bruising in very thin skin |
| 2 weeks before | Ask what to stop and when, in writing | Several common medicines increase bruising |
| 2 weeks before | Confirm which approach is planned | It decides sutures, stay length and recovery |
| 1 week before | Buy sunglasses, pillows, compresses and concealer | You will not want to shop looking like this |
| 1 week before | Switch from contact lenses to glasses | Lenses stay out for a while afterwards anyway |
| On the day | Arrive with a clean face, no make-up, no lenses | Contour and colour must both be visible for marking |
Row four is the one people skip, and it is the row that shapes everything else on the list.
Tell them about your eyes, not just your eyelids
This matters more for the lower lid than for any other facial procedure, and patients routinely leave it out.
Existing dry eye is the important one. The lower lid sweeps tears across the eye with every blink, so operating on it can make a borderline dry eye distinctly uncomfortable for a period.
Thyroid eye disease, previous laser vision correction, glaucoma, any earlier eye or eyelid surgery, and difficulty closing the eye all belong in the conversation.
The American Optometric Association publishes patient information on eye health and what a comprehensive eye examination covers, which is a reasonable guide to what your history should include.
Stop pulling on the lid
A small habit worth breaking before surgery rather than after, because it works directly against what the operation is trying to achieve.
Rubbing the eyes, dragging the lower lid down to apply make-up or lenses, and pulling at the skin to inspect it all stretch a structure that depends on its tone.
If allergies make you rub, say so, and treat them before surgery rather than during recovery.
After surgery the same habits are worse than unhelpful, so it is easier to have stopped already than to stop while your eyes feel gritty.
What to have ready at home
Everything here is easier to obtain before surgery than during the first week.
- Large sunglasses, for light sensitivity and for going out at all.
- Extra pillows or a wedge, so you can sleep with your head raised.
- Clean soft cloths for cool compresses, and a way to chill them.
- Your glasses, since contact lenses are out for a while.
- Whatever drops or ointment you are prescribed, collected in advance.
- A concealer you already know suits you, for when you are told make-up is allowed.
The last item is specific to this operation. Bruising here sits where everyone looks, and experimenting with a new product on healing skin is not the moment.
Arrange the practical help too. Someone to take you home is usually required rather than optional, and having a person nearby for the first day makes blurred vision far less unsettling.
Prepare your expectations too
The preparation nobody sells you anything for is knowing what the first weeks actually look like.
You will look worse before you look better, and the low point is usually around day three to five. Bruising tends to travel downwards onto the cheek, which is ordinary rather than a sign anything has gone wrong.
The two sides rarely settle at the same rate, and the lid may briefly sit lower than usual while swollen, as lower eyelid surgery recovery stage by stage describes.
Take a photograph before you travel, in daylight and looking straight ahead, and look at it again in three months rather than in week two.
Plan the diary, not just the surgery
Because this recovery happens in the middle of your face, the calendar matters more than for body procedures, and more than for the upper lid.
Count backwards generously from anything you must attend looking unremarkable. Most people are concealable within one to two weeks, and bruising occasionally lingers longer than that.
If you are travelling, ask whether your approach involves sutures, because that decides whether the trip must contain a removal appointment.
And book a changeable return fare, since clearance to fly follows a review rather than a booking.
The week before, practically
A few small arrangements make the first days considerably easier, and none of them costs anything.
Sleep propped up for a couple of nights beforehand if you normally lie flat, so that the position is familiar rather than something new to get used to while swollen.
Move what you will need down to eye level. Bending to reach a low cupboard raises pressure in the head, and it is the instruction people break first.
Fill the fridge, and put your drops, glasses and phone charger within arm’s reach of where you will be sitting. Blurred vision makes hunting for small objects genuinely irritating.
Three conversations to have before the day
These are better settled in advance than in a gown on the morning.
What anaesthetic is planned. Local anaesthesia is usual, with or without sedation. Ask which applies, who administers it, and whether you will need someone to take you home.
Whether fat is being removed or repositioned. This changes how the area looks in years rather than weeks, and it is a fair question to ask plainly.
What happens if you are unhappy. Ask the revision policy, who bears the cost, how long you would wait, and get the answer in writing.
Questions people ask
Should I stop my supplements?
Disclose all of them and be guided. Several common supplements affect bleeding, which shows readily as bruising in thin under-eye skin, but stopping prescribed medication without advice creates a different risk.
Can I wear contact lenses afterwards?
Not immediately, and the interval is set by your surgeon. Inserting lenses involves pulling on the lower lid, which is exactly what should be avoided early on.
Will I need someone with me?
Almost certainly for the journey home, and it is genuinely helpful for the first day or two while vision is blurred. Confirm the arrangement rather than assuming you will manage.
How much can be settled before travelling?
Most of the history and the questions, as remote consultations before travelling for surgery explains. The examination cannot. The clinic contact details cover both locations.
Medical information notice. This page is general information. It is not medical advice and does not replace consultation with a qualified medical professional. All surgery carries risk; suitability, recovery and results vary from person to person and are determined by individual medical assessment.