Subciliary Approach Risks & Recovery
Video transcript: Infection and bleeding can occur with subciliary approach blepharoplasty although these are very uncommon. Recovery from subciliary approach blepharoplasty is usually a little bit longer than the transconjunctival approach, and that's because there is an external incision; skin and muscle is elevated from its original position, fat is removed and sometimes transposed, and overall the procedure takes longer and a little bit more traumatic to the tissue. So most people are not looking their best probably for a couple of weeks.
Most people take two weeks off work and still require that they take two weeks off from vigorous physical activities. Because there is an external incision, it may take many months for that scar to start to mature and slowly heal.
Here's and example of a patient one week after her subciliary blepharoplasty; so she's got a small incision, a little bit yellow because of the bruising. And then in the center of the slide it's six weeks post op, and on the right it's six months post op. So usually at six weeks people look pretty good and it would be hard for us to tell she's had surgery.