When can I drive after blepharoplasty?

General information about typical recovery, not medical advice. Every eye and every surgery is different, and your surgeon's instructions override anything on this page. Read our full disclaimer.

Short answer

Not on surgery day, and not until your vision is clear enough and you are off sedating pain medicine. Many people are driving within a few days once the ointment blurring and swelling ease, but your surgeon decides.

You cannot drive yourself home. Eyelid surgery is nearly always an outpatient procedure using local anesthesia to numb the eye and the area around it, per AAO, and sedation is often added, so arrange a ride for surgery day.

After that, the limits are practical rather than a fixed date. StatPearls notes that patients should be told to expect blurry vision when using ointment, and heavy swelling can narrow how much of your field you can see out of the top of the lid. Neither of those is safe behind the wheel.

AAO states patients may usually resume normal activities within 24 to 48 hours after upper eyelid surgery, which is why many people are back to short local trips within a few days. That statement is about ordinary activity, not a driving clearance, and it does not override your surgeon.

The honest test is whether you can read a street sign at a normal distance with both eyes open, turn your head comfortably, and get through the drive without pain medicine that makes you drowsy. If any of those is a no, do not drive. We did not find a society source giving a specific day-count for driving after blepharoplasty.

When	Typical guidance
Surgery day	Do not drive. Someone must take you home.
Days 1 to 3	Usually still blurry from ointment and swelling. Most people do not drive yet.
After 24 to 48 hours and beyond	AAO notes normal activities usually resume in 24 to 48 hours. Drive only when vision is clear and you are off sedating medicine, with your surgeon's approval.

Call your surgeon now if you notice any of these

Sudden severe pain in or behind the eye, especially with swelling that keeps getting worse. AAO states that severe pain, decreased vision, and progressive swelling may represent retrobulbar hemorrhage and should be brought to immediate medical attention. Go to an emergency room now.
The eye pushing forward or bulging, or lids so tight and swollen you cannot open them. Proptosis is a documented sign of retrobulbar hemorrhage, which EyeWiki describes as a rapidly progressive, sight-threatening emergency.
Any decrease or loss of vision, or vision getting worse over hours instead of better. Loss of vision is listed by AAO among the possible complications of eyelid surgery, and EyeWiki notes intervention for retrobulbar hemorrhage needs to happen within about 2 hours of onset.
Nausea and vomiting together with eye pain and pressure. StatPearls lists pain, proptosis, nausea, vomiting, and reduced vision as the presentation of retrobulbar hemorrhage, which it calls a surgical emergency.
New double vision. Double vision is listed among the complications of lower eyelid and transconjunctival blepharoplasty by StatPearls. Call your surgeon the same day.
Signs of infection: spreading redness, warmth, increasing swelling after the first few days, yellow or green discharge, or fever. Infection is listed by AAO among the possible complications of eyelid surgery.
Bleeding from an incision that does not stop with gentle steady pressure, or a firm lump under the skin that is growing quickly.
Not being able to close the eye fully once the early swelling has gone down, or an eye that feels raw, painful, and very light sensitive. Early incomplete closure is common and usually resolves within days per StatPearls, so closure that is not improving needs to be checked.
Any wound that opens or separates, or a suture that has come loose and is scratching the eye.

These warning signs after blepharoplasty can point to problems that need same-day care. Do not wait for your next scheduled visit. If you cannot reach your surgeon's office, use their on-call line, or go to an emergency room.

Sources: American Academy of Ophthalmology; American Academy of Ophthalmology (EyeWiki); StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf

Sources

Eyelid Surgery American Academy of Ophthalmology. Accessed 2026-08-25.
Upper Eyelid Blepharoplasty American Academy of Ophthalmology. Accessed 2026-08-25.
Transconjunctival Blepharoplasty StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf. Accessed 2026-08-25.

When can I drive after blepharoplasty?

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