When Should Early Revision Double Eyelid Surgery Be Performed?

Hello!

To ensure the highest level of surgical satisfaction,

Gangnam Seoyeon Plastic Surgery Clinic always does its best :)

Today, we are going to talk about

why it is better to perform early revision within 3 weeks after double eyelid surgery!

This article is based on the presentation given by Director Choi Dong-il at the Eye Plastic Surgery Research Group Symposium in September 2021, so please use it as a reference :)

The photos below have not been edited in any way,

except for brightness adjustments :)

What is Early Revision Surgery?

Early revision surgery refers to performing a re-operation as soon as possible when a problem occurs with the double eyelid after surgery, or when the original double eyelid does not fold properly due to issues like multiple creases.

When is the best time for early revision surgery?

Early revision surgery is generally best performed within 2 weeks after surgery, and can be considered up to 3 weeks.

While it can very rarely be done between 3 weeks and 1 month post-op, it is not recommended.

Why perform early revision?

So, why do we do early revision?

The reason for early revision is that it is much more advantageous to do it now than to wait until later.

We do not perform it just because a patient wants it.

If waiting and performing the revision later is expected to yield a better result, then it is naturally better to wait.

However, if it is predicted that the condition will not improve over time, early revision is performed.

Why must it be done within 3 weeks?

The reason we recommend the early revision period to be within 3 weeks after surgery

is due to the wound healing process.

The wound healing process can be divided into the inflammatory phase, proliferative phase, and maturation phase.

During the inflammatory phase, which lasts up to 3 days post-surgery, bleeding stops

and inflammatory cells gather to begin healing the wound.

The ‘inflammation’ mentioned here is not the pus-filled infection we often think of,

but the medical inflammation that occurs normally when a wound heals.

During the proliferative phase from days 4 to 21, blood clots begin to gather and the wound starts to close.

The period up to the 21st day can be called the ‘golden time’ for early revision.

This is because the remodeling phase (maturation stage) begins from the 3rd week,

which is when the tissues start to undergo contraction.

Points to Note During Early Revision Surgery

Next, I will talk about the points to keep in mind when performing early revision.

(1) First, we usually enter through the existing incision line.

This is because if you create a new incision or cut away skin, it becomes difficult to correct properly later.

Then, the surgical site is opened to check for damage to the tissue itself.

If there is damage, the focus is on treating that part rather than the aesthetic shape.

This is because it is more advantageous for any future revisions.

In the case of patients who cannot open their eyes, if they wait 6 months blindly and the levator muscle is severed and contracts upward, they will lose function and it becomes extremely difficult to find the muscle.

(2) Second, the focus should be on treating the function, with the mindset that the shape can be re-corrected later.

By focusing on function, slight asymmetry may occur, which must be re-corrected later.

During consultations, patients sometimes ask, ‘If I’m going to have two revisions, can’t I just do it all at once after 6 months?’

However, if a functional problem occurs, there is a high possibility it cannot be resolved later,

so we recommend early revision.

That way, the shape can be restored to some extent, and we can determine if there are functional issues.

Early Revision Case 1

Let’s look at an early revision case.

This patient had surgery at another clinic 2 weeks before visiting us.

They had received follow-up care at the other clinic due to repeated loosening and asymmetry,

but came to us with multiple creases and difficulty opening their eyes.

If you look at the photo before early revision,

there are severe multiple creases in both eyes and the eyes do not open well.

There is a high probability that some kind of adhesion had already occurred.

Fortunately, since the eyes could open to some extent, it was likely that the levator muscle was not damaged.

Some people worry that fat grafting is necessary when multiple creases occur, but this patient was corrected well without it.

Early Revision Case 2

Here is the next case.

This patient was 1 month post-op from another clinic, but strongly requested early revision, stating that social life was impossible.

After fully explaining the surgery and obtaining consent, we inevitably performed early revision at the 1-month mark.

In this patient’s case, since the skin appeared insufficient,

we lowered the line using the ‘double-line skin fold’ method, which involves setting the line below the existing incision and utilizing the previous scar as much as possible.

Today, we looked into why early double eyelid revision should be done within 3 weeks.

Regarding early revision,

you can check more details through the video below.

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Gangnam Seoyeon Plastic Surgery Clinic complies with medical laws. The photos in this post were taken under the same conditions and with the patient’s prior consent. Additionally, please note that side effects such as bleeding, infection, and inflammation may occur after plastic surgery and procedures depending on the individual.

Feel free to visit and receive a

1:1 consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon :)

If you have any questions or would like a consultation,

please leave a comment, contact us via KakaoTalk Plus Friend @SeoyeonPlasticSurgery,

or call us at 02-535-8889 :)

#GangnamSeoyeonPlasticSurgery #GangnamSeoyeon #SeoyeonPlasticSurgery #DoubleEyelidSurgery #PtosisCorrection #MalePtosisCorrection #MaleEyeSurgery #DoubleEyelidReview #ChoiDongIl

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time for early revision surgery for double eyelids?

It is best to do it within 2 weeks after the surgery, and up to 3 weeks is recommended. After 3 weeks, the wound enters the maturation stage and tissue contraction occurs, so the golden time for early correction is up to the 21st day.

Should I always undergo early correction if there are side effects?

No. If the results are expected to be better by waiting, it is advisable to wait for more than 6 months. However, early correction is performed when it is not expected to improve over time or when functional problems such as damage to the eye-opening muscles are anticipated.

Do you create a new incision line for early correction surgery?

In most cases, the existing incision line is opened. If a new incision line is created or additional skin is cut, proper correction may be difficult later, so surgery is performed by utilizing the existing scar as much as possible.

Can early correction perfectly fix both shape and function at once?

Early correction focuses on functional treatment and tissue damage repair rather than shape. If the focus is on function, some asymmetry may occur, and cosmetic shape is operated on the premise of future re-correction.

My eyes don't open well, should I wait 6 months?

If the eye-opening muscles are damaged, waiting indefinitely is dangerous. If the muscles are cut and contract upwards, function is lost and it becomes very difficult to find them later, so function should be restored through early correction as soon as possible.