Hi this is my first post and I have dry eye after blepheroplasty

[Timotea]

I have been reading the posts in this amazing forum. You guys are all so motivating. Vanity got me to blepheroplasty...and I paid the price. Not only do I have dry eye but the surgery also flattened the RK scars so very longsighted and need contacts. Am using thera tears and lacrilube at night with top up of visco tears plus hot compresses. Seems to get me through the day. I now have to struggle through contact lens scenario as specs dont work. Any suggestions gratefully received.

[browneyesblu]

Hi Timotea,
Did you have upper blepharoplasty, if so do you know if any muscle tissue was removed?

[Jenn1]

Hi, can i ask your diagnosis i.e. do you have meibomian gland dysfunction and blepharitis and or aqueous deficiency? Do you know how you developed dry eye and also how long ago was your surgery? Do you use moisture goggles as they help a lot.

[Cali]

So from what I've read, if they remove too much skin during a blepheroplasty, you cannot close your eyelids all the way? Is that why you have dry eye? On some of the cosmetic surgery forums where people post when things go wrong, I think the treatment is they surgically insert gold weights into your upper lids to help you close them all the way. If you cannot close your lids all the way, that will cause dry eye.

[Rebecca Petris]

Hi Timotea

Sorry to hear what you're going through. I talk to a lot of people who have dry eye after blepharoplasty due to short lids and it's a hard thing to have to deal with. Especially if the blepharoplasty was for cosmetic reasons... because some of the things we have to do for dry eye (when it's a severe case) are not that attractive, like the moisture chamber glasses a lot of people wear during the day to keep their eyes moist.

You'd almost certainly benefit from something to protect your eyes at night... it can be as simple as a patch or plastic wrap or it can be a shield or goggle designed for the purpose. You're in the UK right... try www.eyeeco.co.uk to see some of the products that are popular for night use.

Weights work in some cases but I think it depends how short the lids are. Have they put in punctal plugs to try to keep moisture on your eyes longer? You might look into that. Also for the short term, some kind of glasses or goggles to keep in moisture during the day would be good.

I don't understand how the bleph surgery affected the RK incisions? Yikes!! That is SO scary and one of the few things I've never heard of happening. What kind of contacts are you wearing? If you're in soft lenses, it's bound to be a struggle because of the lid closure issue, but if you haven't already you might consider looking into extra large gas permeable lenses (maybe mini scleral or scleral lenses) which can both correct your vision and treat the dryness during the day possibly.

[Timotea]

Thanks Rebecca,
Yes I seem to be one of the only people that has had the RK issue. Eyes perfect until I had the bleph...RK 4 incisions was 12 years ago. It has baffled the eye surgeons that I hace seen but the theory is that the repositioning of eyelids has flattened corneas further. So RLE at some point as I have beginnings of cataracts. I have been taking the advice of this board. Started flaxseed two weeks ago, drops 4 of blink times a day and a dose of viscotears at night. Lacrilube too oily and not sure how they would work with contacts. I am seeing contact fitters on Tuesday. Tried soft but no good, no visual acuity and made my eyes sore. So think am getting So2clear and various others tried. I am seeing UK specialist in DES, corneas and refractive surgery and will report back. I don't have lagothalamos and eyelids seem to close ok. But dreading the contact lens scenario.

[Timotea]

Yes. Had both lids done. Muscle assessment and orbital health is fine. Eye muscles and lid muscles work ok.