Deciding when to have eyelid surgery proves a personal decision driven by a number of factors. For the most part, prospective patients should aim to have surgery during a time of year when there is a general lull in their activity. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons assures patients that they will likely be “presentable to the public” in 10-14 days but warns that the entire healing process often takes several months. So, let’s look at the best season for eyelid surgery.
Best Season for Eyelid Surgery
During these months, you are expected to diligently guard against UV radiation and limit your activity according to your doctor’s instructions. Those limits may change based on the activity level and your personal healing process, but all patients should be prepared to take it easy for three months or so. That way there prove no surprises.
Considering Your Calendar
Before you start discussing dates for your upper eyelid surgery in Minneapolis, take a look at your calendar for the year. Blackout the three months before major events such as weddings and vacations. You should also black out busy seasons at work if there are predictable peaks.
Next you should consider your favorite activities and hobbies. If they are dependent on the seasons, then blackout those periods as well. For example, if you’re an avid snowboarder who spends every weekend at the slopes from January through April, you’ll want to make sure September through April is blacked out.
In most cases, this practice will leave you with limited options, but that is okay. Talk to your surgeon, and find out if there is a date that matches up with your calendar as well as theirs. If there remains a conflict, consider your priorities for a year and determine what you can shift to make space for your surgery. It may end up that you miss the first month or the last month of the best snow, but you’ll be back next year.
Determining Time Off
Taking enough time off from recovery is one of the more challenging aspects of scheduling your eyelid surgery in Minneapolis. It may not be an issue if you have oodles of paid time off saved up, but it could be difficult if you don’t. Before talking to scheduling or whatever body handles time off requests in your office, talk to your surgeon.
Your age, medical history, and general health are usually enough for your surgeon to give you a ballpark estimate of when you should be free to go back to work. To make sure you have as much information as you need, discuss estimated timelines for in-office work as well as remote work. Depending on your situation, this may make it easier to come to an understanding with your employer.
Handling Domestic Care
This isn’t a factor for everyone. However, if you are the primary care provider for dependents such as small children or pets, you should arrange to have assistance available for the first two weeks after your surgery. This may vary depending on the nature of your procedure, so talk through the post-operative process with your surgeon to better understand what kind of help you may need and for how long.
Deciding on a Date
It is a lot to consider. The good news is that once you have taken a look at your social calendar, your work availability, your access to domestic assistance, and your surgeon’s availability you should have a shortlist of workable dates available to you. From there, choosing when to have your surgery is just a matter of preference. When in doubt, choose the time of year when you feel more like a couch potato than an adventurer.