Corneal Laceration Associated With Upper Eyelid Blepharoplasty

A 64-year-old woman underwent bilateral upper eyelid blepharoplasty and subsequently presented with decreased vision at her first postoperative visit 1 week later. She was found to have an 8-mm partial-thickness corneal laceration of her left eye and underwent immediate surgical laceration repair. The laceration etiology was thought to be related to damage from the initial blepharoplasty incision or Bovie cautery tip–induced laceration. After laceration repair, she had residual astigmatism and corneal scarring leading to poor vision. Corneal injuries, including abrasions and perforations, are rare complications of blepharoplasty, and the case in this study is the first report of corneal laceration following blepharoplasty. Corneal perforations and lacerations can lead to significant damage and vision loss, indicating a need for careful attention to surgical technique and instrument placement intraoperatively, routine use of corneal protectors even during superficial aesthetic procedures such as blepharoplasties, and comprehensive postoperative patient instructions. A 64-year-old woman who underwent an upper eyelid blepharoplasty sustained a partial-thickness corneal laceration of her OS, which required emergent repair and resulted in persistent vision loss secondary to large corneal scar.