Blepharoplasty and Blepharitis

Ask an Eye M.D. Answer Archive

Question:
Can blephorplasty cause blepharitis? 

Answer:
I know of no association between blepharoplasty and blepharitis. 

However, symptoms of blepharitis and dry eye are very similar. Blepharoplasty can cause dry eye and this is for many reasons. The main one is that blepharoplasty can cause a wider eye opening (the distance between the lower and upper eyelid margin). This will allow the tear film to evaporate more quickly. 

Also, both upper eyelid and lower eyelid blepharoplasty may affect the ability of the eyelids to close properly causing exposure of the ocular surface and dry eye symptoms such as redness and foreign body sensation. Sometimes a patient with asymptomatic mild dry eye can be tipped over into having significant symptoms after blepharoplasty. 

It is recommended that before blepharoplasty you see an Eye M.D. to make sure your ocular surface is healthy.

Answered by: Gary Hirshfield, MD

Categories: Eye Diseases; Eye Surgery

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