Important! What foods should you avoid before eye surgery to reduce surgical risks?

Preparation before undergoing double eyelid surgery is an important step that should not be overlooked. Many people may wonder what they should avoid eating before eye surgery to ensure the procedure goes smoothly and the results turn out as well as possible. This is because certain foods and medications may directly affect the surgery. In this article, we have gathered important information to help you prepare thoroughly, reduce risks and possible complications, and achieve beautiful, safe, and satisfying eye surgery results.

What Should You Avoid Before Eye Surgery?

Preparing your body is an extremely important step. Before receiving treatment at an eye surgery clinic, avoiding certain foods and medications can help reduce the risk of easy bleeding, swelling and bruising, and help the surgical wound heal faster. Knowing what to avoid before eye surgery is therefore a basic guideline everyone should pay attention to so that creating your new eyes can proceed as smoothly and safely as possible.

Aspirin / Blood Thinners

Medications that directly affect blood clotting, such as aspirin and blood thinners, should be avoided for at least 7-14 days before surgery. This is because these medications may cause bleeding to stop more slowly than usual, which can interfere with the surgery, cause blood accumulation, increase swelling and bruising, and slow down wound healing. If you have an underlying medical condition and need to take these medications, you should always consult your ophthalmologist and primary doctor first to assess your physical readiness.

Vitamin E, Fish Oil, Ginseng, Garlic Extract, and Ginkgo Biloba

Many dietary supplements, especially vitamin E, fish oil, ginseng, garlic extract, and ginkgo biloba extract, have properties that affect blood circulation and may slow blood clotting. Therefore, you should stop taking these supplements for at least 1-2 weeks before surgery to prevent the risk of abnormal bleeding during the procedure. This can help reduce swelling and bruising and support better recovery after surgery.

Alcohol and Caffeine

All types of alcoholic beverages can cause blood vessels to expand and may affect blood pressure. Drinks that contain caffeine, such as tea and coffee, may also stimulate the heart and affect blood pressure. These beverages should be avoided for at least 24-48 hours before surgery to keep the body’s blood circulation and blood pressure as stable as possible. This helps double eyelid surgery proceed safely and reduces unexpected risks.

Excessively Spicy or Fermented Foods

Foods that are very salty or high in sodium, including fermented foods, can easily cause water retention in the body. This may continue into the post-surgery period, making the area around the eyes swell more than usual and take longer to subside. Therefore, during the 1-2 weeks before eye surgery, you should avoid these foods and choose mild-tasting, fully cooked, clean foods instead to prepare the body and reduce factors that may trigger swelling as much as possible.

Smoking

Smoking negatively affects the body in many ways, especially nicotine in cigarettes, which causes blood vessels to constrict. This can reduce blood flow to the surgical wound, slowing wound healing and increasing the risk of infection. In addition, it may also affect the respiratory system during surgery. For the best results and maximum safety, you should stop smoking for at least 2-4 weeks both before and after double eyelid surgery.

What Should You Avoid Eating After Eye Surgery?

In addition to preparing before surgery, proper self-care after eye surgery is just as important, especially when it comes to diet. Certain foods may trigger inflammation, causing the wound to become swollen, red, heal more slowly, or increase the risk of infection. Choosing the right foods can help support better and faster wound healing.

Fermented, Very Salty, Very Sweet, or Very Spicy Foods

These foods are among the first things that should be avoided after surgery. Fermented foods may contain bacteria that can trigger wound inflammation or infection. Very salty foods can cause the body to retain water, increasing swelling. Meanwhile, very spicy and very sweet foods can stimulate cellular inflammation in the body, directly affecting the surgical wound, causing slower healing, redness, swelling, and possibly leaving less desirable scars.

All Types of Alcohol

As with the pre-surgery period, after eye surgery you should strictly avoid all alcoholic beverages. Alcohol stimulates blood circulation and causes blood vessels to expand, which may make blood seep from the surgical wound more easily. This increases the risk of swelling, bruising, and inflammation. In addition, it may interact with medications prescribed after surgery. Alcohol should be avoided for at least 1-2 weeks or until the wound has completely healed.

Very Oily or Fried Foods

Fried or high-fat foods are another category that should be avoided. These foods can strongly stimulate inflammation in the body. Eating oily or fried foods while the wound is still fresh may cause inflammation, redness, swelling, and slower healing around the eyelid surgical wound. It is better to choose foods prepared by boiling, steaming, or grilling instead, to help the body recover and allow the wound to heal as well as possible.

Sweets

Although sweets are favorites for many people, they should be avoided during the recovery period after eye surgery. Sugar in desserts and bakery items is an important factor that can stimulate inflammation in cells throughout the body, including the surgical wound area. Increased inflammation can interfere with the body’s natural repair process, causing the wound to heal more slowly, swelling to last longer, and possibly increasing the risk of raised scars or keloids.

Smoking

Avoiding smoking after surgery is extremely necessary. Toxins in cigarettes, especially nicotine, interfere with the function of cells involved in wound healing and cause the blood vessels supplying the wound area to constrict. As a result, the wound may not receive enough oxygen and nutrients, causing slower healing, a higher risk of infection, and potentially more visible scarring than usual. Stopping smoking will help the body recover more effectively.

Article Summary

Proper preparation both before and after double eyelid surgery helps achieve beautiful and safe results. Knowing what to avoid before eye surgery and what to avoid after eye surgery can help the wound heal faster and settle beautifully. Strictly following the doctor’s instructions is therefore something that should not be overlooked. Those who are interested in improving their eye shape can consult the specialized ophthalmologists at Sky Clinic, who have expertise in double eyelid surgery, inner corner eye opening, ptosis correction, hidden-scar under-brow surgery, and under-eye fat removal, to receive treatment that is suitable for your concerns.