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Date issued: October 2023 

Review date: October 2025 

Ref: C-411/RLM/REI daycase/Caring for your wound after eyelid surgery v4

PDF:   Caring for your wound following eyelid surgery final October 2023 v4.pdf [pdf] 189KB

Some patients require a pressure dressing after eyelid surgery. This dressing is to help minimise bruising/swelling/bruising following surgery to the eyelid and surrounding structures.

What to expect from the eyepad

Once the anaesthetic that has been injected around your eye(s) has lost its numbing affect, the dressing can feel rather uncomfortable. This is due to it being a tight multi layered dressing using strips of Elastoplast with gauze and a non-adhesive dressing underneath.

You are normally advised that this dressing needs to stay in place for at least 12 to 48hrs post surgery.

If however, the eye becomes painful and it feels like the dressing is rubbing on your eyeball, IT IS IMPORTANT TO PHONE EITHER THE REI DAY CARE UNIT (01752 439348) 8am to 7pm or Urgent Care (01752439330) 8:30am to 6pm, Saturdays 9am to 1pm or Emergency Department (01752202082) open 24/7 TO HAVE THE DRESSING REMOVED

Because of the tightness of the dressing and the pressure applied we advise you to take your usual pain relief (if you take any) to help you tolerate the discomfort while the dressing is in place.

If you do not use pain relief as a rule, we suggest that you take 2 Paracetamol (1 gram) and 2 Ibuprofen (400mg), if you are able to take them, TOGETHER once you start to feel any sensation or the start of pain or before you go to bed. Always eat something BEFORE taking ibuprofen.

Paracetamol is a pain relief and ibuprofen is an ant-inflammatory and they work best when taken together. Anti inflammatories will lessen the swelling (which may compromise the wound and stitches), but it will bring the bruising out: it will look worse but feel better.

Continue to take pain relief regularly over the next few days.

It is also a very good idea to take pain relief before seeing the Ocular plastics team, to have your dressing removed.

Cleaning the Wound

• If you do not have a pressure dressing in situ, but just a plastic shield, or no dressing, then leave this on until the next morning (unless you are told differently).

• Avoid rubbing or pulling your eyelid.

• Continue to use the plastic shield that you are given at night time for 1 week to protect the eye whilst you are sleeping.

• Try to leave the wound alone for the first week if possible.

• If you do need to clean the wound use JUST cooled boiled water and a cotton pad/clean tissue, and wipe from the inner corner of the wound, to the outer corner as gently as you can, using a fresh tissue each time you wipe.

• Avoid getting soap, shower gel, shampoo OR tap water into the eye area for the first week post-surgery, as these could irritate the wound. It is advisable to wear the shield and wash your face with a cloth and shower from the shoulders down during this time.

Using the Antibiotic Ointment

The antibiotic ointment (Chloremphenicol) given to you is suitable for inside the eye, or as in this case, on the eyelid wound.

Wash and dry your hands thoroughly, then squeeze a small amount (½") of ointment onto a clean finger and apply directly to the eyelid wound. DO NOT RUB THE OINTMENT IN, just place it along the wound/stitch line.

What Will My Eye Look Like After the Surgery?

It is quite normal for the eyelid to look significantly bruise and swollen for the first few weeks after surgery, DO NOT WORRY, it will improve.

It may be helpful to apply a cold compress, such as a bag of frozen vegetables or ice wrapped in a clean damp tea towel. Start this 48hrs after your surgery for 5 days. Do this for 5minutes at a time, 4 times a day.