A 39-year-old member asked:
can people sleep with their eyes open if botched plastic surgery?
4 doctor answers • 10 doctors weighed in
Dr. Frederick Coville answered
Plastic Surgery 39 years experience
Yes: If too much upper eyelid skin is removed during a blepharoplasty, you could be left with the inability to close your eyelids completely. Fortunately this is a rare complication and one that should not happen if you choose an experienced, well-trained plastic surgeon. The cure for this problem may involve placing skin grafts in the upper eyelids to restore lost skin.
5738 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Adam Schaffner answered
Plastic Surgery 23 years experience
Sleeping after bleph: If too much skin is removed from upper eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty), one may have difficulty closing his/her eyes. This is extremely rare. If this does occur, it is critical to protect the eyes with ointment to prevent a corneal abrasion. Sometimes, it is necessary to perform a skin graft to enable the eyelids to close again.
5738 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Timothy Mountcastle answered
Plastic Surgery 22 years experience
No: Eyes will dry out without eyes closing.
5710 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. BHARAT Shah answered
Plastic Surgery 30 years experience
Yes: If too much skin is removed from the upper eyelids, or a brow lift is done with excessive elevation, a patient may develop difficulty closing the eyes. This condition, called lagopthalmos, is important to treat because it can lead to corneal dryness and eye complications. The eye must be protected form drying out, often with theuse of artificial teardrops or eye lubricant.
5228 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
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Last updated Mar 4, 2014
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