When can I fly 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

There is no published society rule for flying after eyelid surgery. Most surgeons want you past the first postoperative check, which EyeWiki places within 1 to 2 weeks, before you travel.

Unlike some retina surgeries, blepharoplasty does not put a gas bubble in the eye, so there is no absolute pressure-related ban on flying. We could not find any professional society page that gives a day count for air travel after blepharoplasty, and we are not going to invent one.

The real reasons surgeons ask you to wait are timing and access. EyeWiki describes following up within 1 to 2 weeks of surgery for a postoperative evaluation, and AAO states nonabsorbable sutures are removed 7 to 14 days after surgery. Traveling before those visits means missing them or paying someone else to do them.

The bigger reason is the complication you would not want to have far from your surgeon. Retrobulbar hemorrhage is a rapidly progressive, sight-threatening emergency and EyeWiki describes intervention needing to happen within about 2 hours of onset. Its risk after lower eyelid surgery is under 1 in 20,000 per AAO, and it usually appears within the first day, but being in the air or in an unfamiliar city is the wrong place to find out.

Cabin air is also very dry, which is uncomfortable when dry eye is already a common complication after upper eyelid surgery per StatPearls. Bring artificial tears and any prescribed ointment in your carry on.

When	Typical guidance
First 24 hours	Stay near your surgical team. This is when bleeding behind the eye is most likely to show up.
First 1 to 2 weeks	Most surgeons want you present for the postoperative check and suture removal.
After clearance	Flying is generally fine. Carry lubricating drops for dry cabin air.

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

Upper Eyelid Blepharoplasty (EyeWiki) American Academy of Ophthalmology (EyeWiki). Accessed 2026-08-25.
Upper Eyelid Blepharoplasty American Academy of Ophthalmology. Accessed 2026-08-25.
Retrobulbar Hemorrhage (EyeWiki) American Academy of Ophthalmology (EyeWiki). Accessed 2026-08-25.
Lower Eyelid Blepharoplasty American Academy of Ophthalmology. Accessed 2026-08-25.
Upper Eyelid Blepharoplasty StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf. Accessed 2026-08-25.

When can I fly after blepharoplasty?

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