1. Please shower or bathe on the morning of your operation to reduce the risk of infection.
2. Please wear clean loose-fitting clothes as we may require to attach monitors during surgery.
3. Please let us know if you have any of the following:
H IV or Hepatitis infection.
Bleeding conditions.
Heart or lung conditions.
Hip or back conditions.
Skin conditions.
Allergies to Iodine, Local Anaesthetics or Elastoplastet
Anxiety or claustrophobia
4. YOU MUST INFORM US IF YOU ARE TAKING WARFARIN OR ASPIRIN !!!
Depending on the reason for your taking these drugs, we can obtain your GP’s or specialist’s permission to reduce or stop these prior to surgery
AFTER SURGERY
You can expect the following:
1. Discomfort - this can be relieved by taking paracetamol, BUT NOT ASPIRIN, in small doses.
2. Bruising - this can be hidden with sunglasses or disguised with special make-up.
3. Swelling- this can be reduced by sleeping face-up in a semi-seated position and by using ice packs available commercially or made at home using ice crushed inside a polythene bag and wrapped in a clean tea-towel.
4. Initial difficulty in closing the lids-for this reason I sometimes prescribe lubricant eyer drops by day and ointment by night.
Occasionally more serious problems arise. The main ones are:
1. Bleeding interfering with vision. You must inform us if you notice a reduction in vision after surgery.
2. Infection of the wound and surrounding tissues. The risk of this can be reduced by gently cleaning the wound, using sterile cotton buds and saline. You must inform us if you experience severe pain or disharge from your wound.
3. Recurrence of the original condition. Repeat surgery is sometimes necessary.
Please avoid strenuous exercise or heavy lifting for two weeks after lid surgery.
Sutures are normally removed in 7-10 days.
Laboratory reports on biopsy specimens are usually available in 14 days.
John Pitts is an oculoplastic surgeon in full-time private practice in London and Barbados following a substantive NHS consultant position. He graduated MB ChB from Glasgow University in 1983 and, in 1987, after working in pathology and neurology, he trained in ophthalmology in Glasgow, Nottingham and London. He has travelled extensively, working in centres of excellence in Los Angeles, New Orleans, Melbourne, Barbados, Brunei and Vancouver. He has undertaken Fellowship training in oculoplastics at Moorfields Eye Hospital.
