Eye surgeries can be corrective or cosmetic. Some eye surgeries, like a cataract operation, are corrective, and if you do not get it done on time, you may lose your vision forever. However, there are many surgical conditions like the inward or outward curling of the eyelids, drooping of the eyelids etc., which may or may not need medical intervention.
If you have a condition with your eyelids or tear glands in the eye that affects your vision, surgery may become essential. In such cases, you may need an oculoplastic surgeon who works in areas around the eye, including the eyelids and cheek, to solve the problem. So if you are in London, you will need an oculoplastic surgeon in London to solve problems related to your eye muscles.
How Complex Is An Oculoplastic Surgery And Who All Need It?
Oculoplastic surgery is not very complex, and in most cases, you need to stay overnight in the hospital. You may also be able to resume your regular activities after a week or two.
Here are some of the reasons why you may need an oculoplastic surgery
- Bell’s Palsy-Bell’s Palsy is a condition that can strike at any age. This condition causes a weakening of the facial muscles of the affected individual. So if the muscles of your cheek are weakened, it may affect your eyelids or other eye muscles as well.
- Ptosis- It is a condition in which the upper eyelids of the eye become droopy; as a result, a part of your field of vision may become blocked. The opening or closing of the eye depends on the working of the muscles in the eyelids. In some cases where these muscles weaken due to a genetic condition or a degenerative disease, you may need a surgeon.
- Graves disease, certain thyroid-related conditions, injuries etc., can also cause conditions that will need surgery.
What To Do After You Have Had An Oculoplastic Surgery?
Try To Avoid The Pain
The surgical procedure may be painless because the surgeon will most likely use an anaesthetic drop; however, after the surgery is over, feeling pain and discomfort is normal. In order to avoid feeling the pain, take the pain-relieving medication on time. Moreover, use pillows to create an elevated position to rest your head.
Most of the pain that you feel in your eyes after surgery is due to the build-up of ocular pressure. The high ocular pressure also negatively impacts the cuts or incisions that are made in the process of the surgery.
So if you raise your head when you sleep after surgery, you reduce the chances of the build-up of ocular pressure. So you must stack at least two pillows, one on top of the other, to make an elevated platform when you sleep for a minimum of forty-eight hours after the surgery.
Avoid Lifting Heavy Weight
When you lift a heavy load, it shoots up the pressure in your eye. This pressure may cause surgical incisions to open up, which may cause further complications like pain and infection.
So it is better to avoid lifting heavy weights or performing a rigorous physical activity for one or two weeks after the surgery. You can resume rigorous physical activity after your doctor has certified that you are fit to do it and that the incision wound has healed up adequately.
Avoid Direct Contact With Water For A Few Days
It is always advisable to avoid direct contact with water right after you have had an oculoplastic procedure done. You may have to avoid pouring water on your head for at least two weeks after the procedure. Direct contact with water may cause infections and may significantly affect the healing process or create serious complications.
Avoid Alcohol For A Week Or Two
Alcohol is a good dehydrating agent, so consuming too much alcohol may dehydrate the eye. Moreover, alcohol can affect the working of the medicines or drops that are prescribed after the procedure. And finally, consuming too much alcohol may cause you to bump against obstacles or, worse still, have a great fall.
Know What An Emergency Situation Is
After you have had a procedure performed on your eye, you may need to visit a doctor under urgent conditions. So if you see that the incision is showing no signs of healing over time or if your vision gets worse instead of improving, visit a doctor.
Also, if you feel intense pain after one or two days that does not subside without taking painkillers, then also you must discuss it with your doctor.
However, you must also know what is normal and does not constitute an emergency. So seeing an increased tear production is normal. In fact, tears have a protective role as they prevent dry eyes after a surgical procedure.
Again, the eye being more sensitive to light or having a double or slightly blurred vision for a few days after the procedure is quite normal. So you need not call up or visit the doctor for such symptoms.
Follow Up with the Doctor
Many people do not visit the doctor once they feel that their problems have been resolved. However, it is essential to visit the doctor as prescribed. This is because the doctor monitors the entire healing process, and you may think that you are fit, but some amount of healing may still be necessary.
For this, it is important to find a clinic that pays equal attention to post-operative issues and care. You can view website to get in touch with trustworthy doctors who would help you recover faster and be there whenever you need help after the surger
So follow up with the doctor visits to make sure that your eye has healed up completely before you resume your daily activities.
Conclusion
Oculoplastic surgeries usually have a simple and smooth recovery process. If you follow the prescription and the doctor’s advice carefully, you will most likely not face any problems.
However, every patient is different; hence the recovery period and the experiences during the recovery phase will be different for all patients. But you can rest assured if you do not have any serious complications, you will be able to get back to your regular lifestyle within a month or two of the surgery.