Is Eyelid Surgery Safe if I have Dry Eyes?
As an Oculofacial Plastic Surgeon, I am first trained as an eye surgeon so dry eye conditions
are quite familiar to me.
Dry eyes can range from mild to severe.
Each person with dry eyes needs to be evaluated to optimize the lubrication of the eyes prior
to undergoing cosmetic eyelid surgery.
if you think of the eyelids in terms of their major function of protecting and lubricating
the eye then you understand my statement that “eyelids that look good, function well”.
This means that the upper eyelids need to close properly and move up and down without
resistance.
The lower eyelid position has to be stable and support the tear film appropriately so
the upper eyelid can function like a “windshield wiper” to distribute the tears over the
cornea.
This being said, I have performed eyelid surgery successfully on patients with severe dry eyes
including people with conditions such as Sjogrens syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis and Thyroid
eye disease.