Correcting Mucosal Exposure After Double Eyelid Surgery

Sometimes, what is assumed to be simple swelling after double eyelid surgery turns out to be something else.

This is the method for correcting mucosal exposure (eyelid eversion) after double eyelid surgery.

Correcting Mucosal Exposure After Double Eyelid Surgery

In these cases, the double eyelid fold appears thick and the skin is in an everted state.

This is often accompanied by a sleepy appearance (ptosis).

Of course, it can sometimes be due to swelling. However, most swelling subsides within two weeks, or at most within a month or two, and should completely disappear after about six months.

This symptom is frequently seen in surgeries for Chinese patients, especially when a very thick double eyelid fold is desired.

The photo below is of a Chinese patient. Because they still desired a thick fold, it appears thicker than what a Korean patient might typically want even after correction. However, the mucosal exposure has clearly improved.

In the case of the patient below, a significant amount of skin was excised, resulting in a skin deficiency. This caused the eyelid skin to be pulled upward, leading to a high double eyelid fold and mucosal exposure.

The following is a similar case.

The more skin that is lacking, the more likely it is that some degree of mucosal exposure will remain even after corrective surgery.

Fundamentally, undergoing double eyelid surgery changes the original direction of the eyelashes.

Even if the mucosa is not everted, the eyelashes will point more upward; this is why double eyelid surgery is also used to treat patients suffering from trichiasis (ingrown eyelashes).