I recently had an eyelid lift, and now I am having difficulties opening and closing my eyes.

Following an eyelid lift (also known as upper blepharoplasty), the eyelids may become swollen. This swelling may result in difficulty with opening and closing the eyes. As the swelling resolves, so will this difficulty. During this period of difficulty, it is important to keep the eyes properly hydrated with artificial tear drops throughout the day and eye ointment before sleeping. One potential risk of eyelid surgery is an inability to completely close the eyes. I minimize this risk by making very careful measurements to identify how much excess skin can be safely removed.