What is orbital fat?
Orbital fat acts as a cushion around the eyeball at it sits in the eye socket.
What causes the lacrimal glands to prolapse?
The tissues that hold the orbital fat in place become thinner and weaken with age. You may notice yellow tissue in the whites of the eyes, most commonly on the outer corner of the eyes. It is often more obvious when looking in certain directions.
What is the treatment for orbital fat prolapse?
If orbital fat prolapse is causing symptoms it can be surgically excised and stitches put in place to stop further fat prolapse. The fat can be accessed through the surface of the eye and tiny stitches are put in place to close. There should be no visible scars.. If there are any suspicious features Mr Lin will take a biopsy. At the end of the operation antibiotic ointment is used in the eye and a dressing is applied. You will be given the ointment to use at home.
What happens after the operation?
Written instructions will be provided for you. The key aftercare aspects are to minimise infection, bleeding/bruising, swelling and discomfort. Before you leave you will be given lubricating drops for the eyes and antibiotic ointment for the wounds to use for a few weeks after the surgery. You should not drive yourself home. If needed, clean the eyelids gently with cooled, boiled water. If your eye feels sore when the anaesthetic wears off, take paracetamol. Avoid aspirin as this will encourage bleeding. Normally, the discomfort will settle within a few days. Ice packs (such as frozen peas wrapped in a clean towel) will reduce pain and swelling, and sleeping with more pillows to keep the head elevated will help.
You may start driving and working again as soon as the dressing is removed, as long as your vision is clear and you are not light-sensitive. Most forms of light exercise and a normal work pattern may be resumed within a few days of surgery. Avoid heavy lifting, running or strenuous work-outs for four weeks as you may worsen any bruising or swelling. Eyelid makeup can be worn once any scabs fall off. Mr Lin will remove the stitches after 1 week. You cannot wear contact lenses for at least two weeks after surgery, as the eyelids may be stiff/sore, and your eye surface may be dry.
If you have severe pain, not relieved by simple painkillers, please contact Mr Lin on his mobile phone as provided.
What problems can occur after the operation?
Mr Lin performs many hundreds of eyelid operations per year and will draw on his expertise to minimise the risk of problems.
• The surface of the eye may be red and swollen which is normal. These changes will settle after a few weeks, and will take longer to resolve in patients with blood thinners.
• Dry, gritty, sensitive eyes for a few weeks until the stitches dissolve can be helped with lubricant eye drops The vision may be slightly blurred for a few days. Rarely the lacrimal gland which sits near the orbital fat can be damaged by the surgery and can make the eyes more dry, so more frequent lubricating eye drops may be required
• Bleeding after the operation is usually slight and stops within a short time. If bleeding continues you should contact the hospital in case further treatment is required.
• A post-operative infection may rarely develop. If this happens then you should contact the hospital as antibiotic tablets may be needed to help correct this and allow healing.
• The eye muscles sit near the orbital fat and may rarely be damaged during the operation. If so you may have double vision, however this is usually temporary.
• Extremely rarely, severe bleeding can spread behind the eye that can cause loss of vision. This is why aspirin and physical exertion are discouraged for the few weeks after the operation.
