Following signing of the surgical consent, you will be escorted to a "holding area", where you will be prepared for surgery. You may be asked to change into a gown, put on a special bonnet to keep your hair off your face, and wear a pair of paper booties over your shoes.
While the nursing staff should already have a copy of your medical history and physical examination from your surgeon, be sure to discuss any special or unusual medical requirements with the staff, including any allergies to medications, problems with abnormal bleeding, or serious cardiopulmonary limitations.
Once your blood pressure and pulse have been recorded, you will receive any oral sedation or, if intravenous sedation is to be used, an intravenous line will be inserted.
In the operating room, your surgeon will usually be accompanied by two staff members (a surgical assistant and a general medical assistant) and, if intravenous medications are to be used, an anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist.
You will be positioned lying down on an operating table and cushioned to make you comfortable. Your face will be cleansed with a disinfectant, and sterile surgical drapes will cover all but your brows, eyes, and nose. The operating room lights will seem overly bright at first. Depending on your depth of sedation, you may hear your surgeon and staff talking to each other and to you. A blood pressure cuff wrapped around your arm will inflate periodically.
If you remain awake during your surgery, you will be instructed to keep your eyes closed except at certain times when your surgeon will want to inspect the effects of his or her work in progress. Do not worry about seeing much of what's going on; between your sedation and the bright lights, it's hard to make out any details.
If your surgery is performed under local anesthesia with sedation, you will feel some pressure throughout the operation but very little or almost no discomfort. If you do feel noticeable discomfort, tell your surgeon, who will be able to inject additional local anesthetic.
Once your surgery is finished, your surgeon will clean off your face and raise you up into a semi-reclining position. Your eyelids will be covered with moist, cool gauze pads. If there is no bleeding, no undue pain, and stable vital signs, your surgeon may elect to either move you back to a holding area for further observation or put you in a wheelchair to be be escorted to your driver.
Bandages are not applied after blepharoplasty. A pair of dark wrap-around sunglasses are protective. A staff member will review instructions with your driver.
Many surgeons will provide you with necessary supplies, including such items as your sunglasses, an antibiotic ointment, a small supply of strong pain medication, a gel ice-pack, a bottle of artificial tears, an extra supply of sterile gauze, printed instructions.
On the drive home, it is preferable to recline your seat back slightly and keep your eyes closed. If you were given an ice pack, you may apply it over a gauze pad over your eyelids.
If you prefer to keep your eyes open, don't be surprised if your vision is blurry. Your eyelids will feel puffy and will not blink very well.
