Blepharoplasty in Turkey: eyelid surgery, risks and recovery

Eyelid surgery is a short operation on a small, delicate area that sits directly against the eye. Most people go home the same day, and serious complications are uncommon. But the things that do go wrong — a lid that will not close, a lower lid pulled away from the eye, bleeding behind the eye — affect how the eye works, not just how it looks. That is why the questions worth asking before you book in Turkey are less about the result in the photographs and more about who is operating, how your eyes are assessed beforehand, and what happens in the days after surgery when you may already be at the airport.

Upper and lower blepharoplasty are different operations

The NHS describes upper eyelid surgery as a cut along the natural crease of the lid, removal of excess skin, fat or muscle, and closure so that the scar usually sits hidden in the fold. The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) adds an important limit: upper lid surgery does not move the eyebrow. If some of the hooding comes from a brow that has dropped over time, removing lid skin alone may not fully correct it, and a brow lift may be discussed. BAAPS also notes that a drooping lid (ptosis) can be masked by excess skin and only become visible after it is removed — a pre-existing condition unmasked, not a complication, but still something you want raised at consultation rather than discovered afterwards.

Lower eyelid surgery deals mainly with bags under the eyes. According to the NHS, the incision is made either just below the lashes (a transcutaneous or subciliary approach, through the skin) or on the inside of the lower lid (a transconjunctival approach, leaving no external scar). Fat is removed or repositioned, sometimes a small amount of skin is taken, and the lid's muscles and tendon may be supported. Which approach suits you depends on whether you have excess skin, how lax your lower lid is and the shape of the bone around the eye. That is a surgeon's judgement after examining you, not a package option.

Who performs it, and how to check

Blepharoplasty is done by plastic surgeons and by ophthalmologists who have specialised in eyelid and orbital surgery (oculoplastic surgeons). Either can be appropriate. What matters is that you know which one you are getting, by name, and that you can check their registration and specialty. Ask in writing: who is the operating surgeon, what is their specialty, how many eyelid operations of this type do they do, and who will see you if a problem arises after you leave. Our guide to checking a doctor in Turkey explains what can and cannot be verified from abroad, and the wider cosmetic surgery in Turkey guide covers facilitators and hospitals.

You can see which facilities hold the Ministry of Health's international patient authorisation and list this treatment on the live blepharoplasty list. A listing confirms that authorisation; it says nothing about an individual surgeon's skill. A facility missing from the list is not necessarily unlicensed — it may be registered under a different legal name or spelling.

Why a pre-operative eye assessment matters

Dry eye is the complication most closely tied to the state of your eyes before surgery. BAAPS explains that after blepharoplasty the lids become swollen and stiff and may close more slowly, so the eyes feel dry and need drops; this is usually temporary, but in people already prone to dry eye the dryness can be long-lasting and drops may be needed permanently. The NHS advises discussing plans with a GP first, as there may be a medical condition affecting the eyelids or a reason the operation is not appropriate.

In practice, tell the surgeon about dry or gritty eyes, contact lens use, previous eye or laser surgery, thyroid disease and any blood-thinning medicines (the NHS names aspirin, warfarin and apixaban). Ask whether your vision, tear film and lid laxity will be assessed before the day of surgery, and by whom.

What the evidence reports about complications

Dry eye. A 10-year retrospective review of 892 upper and lower blepharoplasties by a single surgeon (Prischmann, Sufyan, Ting et al., JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, 2013) found dry eye symptoms reported in 26.5% of patients and chemosis (swelling of the membrane over the eye) in 26.3%. Both were significantly more common when upper and lower lids were done together and when a skin-muscle flap was used. Pre-existing dry eye, lid laxity and scleral show were among the factors linked to higher risk. This is one surgeon's series using a self-reported questionnaire, so treat the figures as indicative rather than universal.

Lagophthalmos and lower-lid malposition. BAAPS warns that if too much upper-lid skin is removed the eye may not fully close, which can require a skin graft. For the lower lid, a systematic review of 36 studies (Gimenez, Rohrich, Borab et al., Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open, 2025) found reported rates of lower-lid malposition — scleral show, lagophthalmos, ectropion, entropion, retraction — ranging from 0% to 12%, with ectropion (the lid turning outwards) reported at 0% to 11.3% across 16 studies. The studies differed too much in technique and follow-up for a meta-analysis, and the authors say more rigorous comparisons of techniques are needed. They concluded that most functional and aesthetic problems could be resolved conservatively or with revision surgery, and that no blindness or double vision was reported in the included studies.

Bleeding behind the eye. This is rare but can threaten sight. A survey of members of the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (Hass, Penne, Stefanyszyn & Flanagan, Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2004), covering 269,433 cosmetic eyelid operations reported by 237 surgeons, found an orbital haemorrhage rate of about 1 in 2,000 and haemorrhage with permanent visual loss of about 1 in 22,000. Most bleeds happened within the first three hours, and risk fell sharply after 24 hours, though some occurred days later. Common factors in affected cases included high blood pressure, aspirin use, vomiting and exertion. The study relied on surgeons' recall, which the authors acknowledge as a limitation. BAAPS describes this as an emergency needing a return to theatre to relieve pressure on the optic nerve.

The practical point: sudden pain, swelling or pressure behind the eye, or any change in vision after surgery, needs the operating team immediately. Know how to reach them at night, and stay close to the hospital for at least the first day.

Recovery and your flight home

The NHS says most people take about two weeks off work, bruising and redness may take several weeks to fade, and scars may look visible and feel tight for a few months. Temporary puffy, numb eyelids that are hard to close, and irritated or watery eyes for a few weeks, are listed as common. Suture strips are usually removed up to a week after surgery. Stitches themselves vary: some surgeons use dissolving sutures and others use stitches that must be removed, so ask which you will have and who will take them out.

On flying, the NHS page on cosmetic surgery abroad recommends not flying for 7 to 10 days after facial cosmetic procedures, and advises against sightseeing, sun and swimming straight after surgery. Plan your return date around the stitch-removal and check-up appointments, not the other way round. Our aftercare guide covers what to arrange at home before you travel.

What to get in writing

• The operating surgeon's full name, specialty and registration details, and the hospital where surgery takes place.
• Which lids (upper, lower, both), which lower-lid approach, and whether fat is removed or repositioned or the lid is tightened.
• What pre-operative eye checks will be done, and what would rule you out.
• Local or general anaesthetic, and whether you stay overnight.
• Stitch type, the removal date, and the minimum stay before flying.
• Who to call for urgent symptoms, day and night, and what happens if revision surgery is needed.
• An itemised quote: surgeon, anaesthesia, hospital stay, medicines, follow-up visits and revision policy. See what a treatment quote should include and questions before paying a deposit.

None of this replaces an examination. Whether blepharoplasty is right for you, and which technique, is a decision to make with a qualified surgeon who has assessed your eyes in person.