Canthoplasty Aftercare

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The recovery time after Canthoplasty is quite short as the operation is on a small area of the body and carried out under local anesthetic. Directly after the procedure, you will be taken to a recovery room where you will be monitored for the next hour or two. During this time the nurses will also monitor your vital signs and the anesthetic and sedative will start to wear off. You may feel nauseous and cold during this time but the nurses will provide you with blankets and it shouldn’t be long before these side effects subside. You may also have some pain and pain medication will be provided. A dressing will have been applied to your eyes to protect them and reduce the swelling. When the surgeon assesses you, they will decide if you are ok to go home and if so, you will be discharged that day.

Your eyes will be swollen and bruised following the surgery but this should disappear after around two days. Generally, patients go back to work two days after their surgery. If you have had stitches that are not dissolvable, you will need to return to the surgery two to five days later to have them removed. You will also have to meet your surgeon at certain dates to ensure that you are healing nicely and that there have been no unwanted complications.

How can I ease my pain?

You will need to keep your head elevated as much as possible and rest the day after your surgery. You can apply cool packs to your eyes to reduce the swelling. Generally, there is not a lot of pain but your eyes may be uncomfortable and you may need to take pain medication. Paracetamol should help ease the discomfort.  You can wash your face and apply make up the day after your procedure. You may find that your eyes become dry easily and there are eye drops that you can get to ease this irritation. You should also protect them as much as possible so wear sunglasses when it is sunny or wind.  If you get an infection, you will need to apply antibiotic ointment to your eyes and your recovery time will be lengthened. You may also need to take frequent naps as your eyes might get tired easily.

Avoiding activities

There are certain activities that you will need to avoid for a while. You do not want to strain your eyes as they can get irritated so avoid activities like reading, watching TV, using the computer or wearing contacts. You should also avoid bending down or any sports, as you need to keep your head as elevated as possible. If possible, you should also avoid crying. It is estimated that the full recovery time and the time where the full effects of the surgery are revealed is three weeks.

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