I just had my eyes done, but they’re still swollen and look asymmetrical. Is this normal?

Q. I had my eye surgery approximately one month ago and I’m not happy. My doctor tells me that I’m still swollen, but I find that I am a little bit asymmetric. My friend had her eyes done and after two weeks she looked perfect.

A. If your doctor did the right operation and executed the surgery well, you are probably still swollen and are going to get better.

There are many issues that may contribute to a patient’s overall lack of healing. Some people tend to have more inflammation and don’t heal as quickly as others, which cannot be predicted prior to surgery.

Some patients say they’re going to bruise easily and have a lot of swelling and don’t have either. Other patients tell me they never swell and they have horrendous swelling after surgery.

Some patients have asymmetry that they do not notice prior to surgery. Taking pictures prior to surgery is important for this reason. In addition, I always look at my pre-op pictures while in surgery, as I don’t always remove the same amount of fat and or skin from each eye because each eye is separate.

Because the incisions of the upper eyelids are made at a different location to make the eyes more symmetrical, swelling may resolve slower and the eyes will be asymmetric for a longer period of time.

Asymmetry in the incisions of the lower lid are rare but taking excess skin may change the shape of the lower lid. I tell people that between six and eight weeks is when most of the asymmetry will resolve and swelling can continue for several months thereafter.

Eye surgery is critical and even millimeters make a huge difference. If you picked your surgeon well and they have a good reputation, it is likely they are telling you the truth about the swelling and it should get better.

If, however, your surgeon becomes defensive, you should get a second opinion. I would wait at least six to eight weeks to see another surgeon so that most of the swelling has resolved and you can get a reasonable idea of what is happening.