[Rari Plastic Surgery] After Eye Surgery, Is Mucosal Show Normal?!

One of the common symptoms after eye surgery is

mucosal show (ectropion).

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Right after surgery, the inner mucosa of the upper eyelid may be visible from the outside,

or when closing the eyes, the mucosa may appear lifted and exposed, separated from the eyeball, which often causes concern.

However, in most cases, this is part of the normal recovery process and improves naturally over time.

Today, let’s look at why mucosal show occurs, what symptoms appear after it develops, and how the recovery process progresses over time.

There are several reasons why mucosal show can occur after eye plastic surgery,

but the biggest cause is postoperative swelling.

Immediately after eye surgery, the eyelid skin and inner tissues become swollen overall.

When swelling develops in the inner eye tissues, the tarsal plate connected to the levator aponeurosis may be lifted,

causing the inner mucosa (grey line) to be pushed outward and become visible.

In particular, compared with non-incisional surgery, incisional surgery can more firmly fix the levator aponeurosis and tarsal plate,

so the initial mucosal exposure may appear more pronounced.

Changes in tissue tension around the upper eyelid can also have an effect.

When double-eyelid surgery is performed, the skin is pulled upward and the force on the muscles, tarsal plate, and skin becomes stronger,

which can temporarily expose the mucosa from the front to the middle part of the eye.

In particular, when ptosis correction is performed so that the eyes do not become smaller,

the levator aponeurosis and tarsal plate are strongly connected, making mucosal exposure more likely.

When mucosal show occurs, various symptoms can appear.

Mucosal show itself rarely causes significant pain,

but because of the nature of the exposed area,

when the eyes are open, the inner pink mucosa may be visible and give the impression that the eyes are bloodshot.

Also, when the mucosa is lifted, the eyeball is directly exposed to outside air,

so dry eyes or mild to severe foreign-body sensation inside the eye can occur,

and in windy environments, eye stinging may also accompany it.

As a result, the eyes may become red, or tears may flow constantly, so caution is needed.

Because of the swelling of the exposed mucosa, the eye shape may look somewhat unfamiliar,

and even after surgery to remove double eyelids, a thick line that looks like a double eyelid may still be noticeably visible.

These symptoms generally improve over time.

In most cases, mucosal show can recover naturally over time,

and it improves through the following process.

If mucosal show appears immediately after surgery, up to about 1 week is when

tissue swelling is at its worst, so the mucosal show also appears most severe.

At this time, because the symptoms mentioned above are working together,

it is best to minimize irritation to the eyes.

After that, as the tissue swelling decreases over about a month, mucosal exposure gradually lessens,

but in some cases recovery may be slower as scar tissue forms along the double-eyelid line.

For people with sensitive eyes or those who feel the above symptoms severely,

it is also a good idea to use artificial tears or ophthalmic medication.

(Our clinic also prescribes eye ointment in preparation for these symptoms.^^)

After that, as the larger swelling subsides for about 3 months,

the position of the mucosa is naturally adjusted, returning to its original location,

and symptoms such as redness and dry eyes are also relieved.

Mucosal show after eye plastic surgery usually improves around 3 months,

but depending on the case, it may take 6 months or even up to a year for the mucosal show to improve,

so there is no need to worry too much if it has not improved right at the 3-month mark.

In most cases, it improves naturally over time, but for people whose recovery is delayed and whose mucosal show lasts longer,

ongoing follow-up checks are necessary.