Should I do eyelid surgery or lasik first?

Eyelid surgery or lasik first? That seems to be a question that a lot of our patients ask. So we decided to do a writeup to give some insights.

Is it just a matter of preferences? Or are there actual risks involved? Is it better to do eyelid surgery or lasik first?

Oh, by the way, when we say lasik, we mean all corrective eye surgery such as lasik, smile, PRK etc.

And when we say eyelid surgery, we mean all eyelid surgeries, including double eyelid surgery, canthoplasty surgery, ptosis correction, under eye fat repositioning etc. You get the drift. Now, let’s find out which procedure should we do first.

Why you shouldn’t do eyelid surgery and lasik together

Because both procedures involve making very delicate changes to your eyes, so the risk involved is very high if you do both together. Here’s why:

• Lasik adds stress to your corneas. Imagine the amount of stress on your eyes if you do both surgeries together!
• Both surgeries can cause temporary dryness. But you need moist eyes to heal properly, especially for lasik.
• Major swelling of eyes after eyelid surgery means not being able to close your eyes properly. This further aggravates dry eyes.
• If your eyes are small, lasik tends to stretch your eyelids. Hence affecting results from eyelid surgery.

Hence, blepharoplasty and lasik should never be done at the same time. Really, never do both together!

Benefits of getting lasik before eyelid surgery

Let’s take a look at the benefits of doing lasik before eyelid surgery:

• Has a shorter recovery time so you don’t have to wait too long to get your eyelid surgery.
• No wearing of contact lens after eyelid surgery. You will be thankful for that perfect eyesight if you do lasik first.
• Lasik can sometimes result in droopy eyelids (rarely though), which can be fixed with eyelid surgery.

Benefits of getting eyelid surgery before lasik

On the other hand, here are also some benefits of doing eyelid surgery before lasik:

• You might not need lasik as eyelid surgery can sometimes affect eye prescriptions, especially for droopy eyelids and lazy eyes.
• Dry eyes symptoms from lasik might persist long. Hence, further delaying your eyelid surgery.
• In some cases, dry eyes become permanent after lasik and gets worse after eyelid surgery.

How long should I wait between eyelid surgery and lasik?

Of course it’s always best to wait till you have fully recovered from whichever procedure you decided to do first before getting the other. Because you will probably get the best results from both surgeries if you waited. Anything worth waiting for is worth having right?

So, wait at least 6 months between surgeries. But if you really can’t wait, for whatever reasons, schedule the procedures at least 1 month apart.

What to take note for eyelid surgery and lasik?

If you are getting lasik first:

• Ensure that your eyes are not too dry for eyelid surgery.
• Make sure that your corneal flaps are fully recovered.

However, if you are getting eyelid surgery first:

• Make sure that your eyes are not too dry for lasik.
• Ensure no more bruising and swelling from eyelid surgery.
• Your eyelids are able to open and close properly.

What other eyelid surgeries to consider?

Good news, you can fix your eyelid problems all at the same time, in one surgery! Well, except for vision correction surgeries though.

1. Double eyelid surgery

For those who are monolids and want more defined double eyelids, find out how double eyelid surgery can make your eyes bigger and adorable!

2. Canthoplasty surgery

For those who want bigger yet softer looking eyes, canthoplasty surgery, when coupled with double eyelid surgery can create that result.

3. Ptosis correction

If you have droopy eyelids and sleepy eyes, learn how ptosis correction surgery can fix droopy eyelids and enhance your double eyelid surgery results.

4. Under eye fat repositioning

Want to get rid of eye bags that make you look tired and old? Discover how under eye fat repositioning surgery can give the perfect results.

5. Fat grafting surgery

Restore volume to your face to look younger than before with non-surgical fat grafting surgery.

6. Aegyo sal surgery

Eye bags age you but on the contrary, aegyo sal (love bands) makes you look younger! It’s so popular among Koreans that they even have a surgery for it. Look out for our post on it!

Conclusion

Honestly, it doesn’t really matter which procedure is done first, as long as you allow time for your eyes to completely heal after each surgery before getting the other. But if you don’t want to wait too long, getting lasik first before your eyelid surgery would be recommended.