Finding out that your infant requires reconstructive eyelid surgery can be anxiety-inducing, to say the least. Though there is some relief in knowing there is a remedy to a serious, painful, or chronic condition affecting their ocular health and vision, and it won’t have to be something they live with for the rest of their life. Still, it’s only natural to feel nervous when your child needs any type of surgery.

 

At Malena M. Amato M.D. in Austin, TX, we do everything we can to ensure that your child feels calm and relaxed before eye surgery and that you feel as prepared as possible to keep them comfortable during their recovery. Here are a few tips on keeping your child comfortable during recovery.

Prevent Pain Before It Starts

Pain relief medication works best when it’s given on a schedule, usually every four to five hours. This helps to stay on top of the pain before it can even start. If your child seems to be experiencing extreme pain, crying more than usual, reaching for their eye, and not playing, eating, or sleeping, call your surgeon to find a better dose or a more consistent schedule.

 

Pain can increase during sleep, so rather than waiting for children to wake up, we advise waking them to give scheduled medicine. Maintaining this steady schedule of medicine is the best way to keep pain under control.

Making Your Child More Comfortable for the Trip Home

About an hour before leaving the hospital, give your child a full dose of pain-relief medicine if their doctor hasn’t already done so. If you have a long drive and pain relief is needed, give the medicine as prescribed during the trip. Have their favorite blanket ready and someone to sit in the back seat with them at all times during the trip to offer comfort and to monitor them while they are asleep or awake.

Ways to Help Your Baby Feel Better Everyday

• The key to any great recovery is plenty of rest. Make sure that your baby is getting plenty of restful sleep. You can do this by encouraging relaxing times, playing peaceful music, turning on calming music, and practicing deep breathing.
• Anticipate any significant changes in your baby’s everyday activities that might result in soreness. Try to schedule their pain-relief medication about an hour before standing, walking, or even light playing. It’s better to give pain-relief medicine and encourage movement than to limit your child’s activities altogether.
• Increase your child’s activity gradually with each day. If your baby starts to feel less pain and becomes active too soon, it can increase their pain level.
• Follow the surgeon’s instructions explicitly. They will advise you when to change their bandages, apply ointments, and whether you need to keep the incision site dry or wash it from time to time. These guidelines are so that your baby can heal as quickly as possible without infection and with as little discomfort as possible.

Want the Best for Your Baby’s Eyelid Surgery? Schedule Your Consultation with Dr. Malena M. Amato

As a board-certified eyelid & facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Malena M. Amato is amongst the most experienced, knowledgable, and skillful surgeons to conduct a procedure as delicate as eyelid surgery on an infant. To schedule your child’s consultation, we invite you to call our office at (512) 501-1010 or contact us online through our website.