Hardened Chalazion -- Drain or Not?

[glamourcupcakes]

About 6 months ago, a chalazion developed on my top upper eyelid.

Now, about 5 months after the swollen and redness has all ceased, I'm left with a hard but not VERY noticeable bump. I first noticed it was there because my eyes are now uneven due to the creases being messed up - the one with the bump seems "fatter" than the other one, thus making that eye look smaller.

I went to see an ophthalmologist yesterday and he said he can drain it for me or I can leave it and wait for it to go away. He said he doesn't know ANYONE whose had the remains of a chalazion for their whole lifetime and it is usually best to drain it (incision) when it is still red and at its peak. At this point, he said that sometimes he may not get ALL of it. But he has agreed to do it for me if I want to.

I'm kind of scared and don't want to, but I also don't want my eyes to look so uneven forever. Is it safer to have it drained now than wait longer and then do it when I find out it doesn't go away? Any opinions?

Thanks in advanace!

[skinlife]

Hi Glamourcupcakes,

how is your eye healing? i am having the same issue with my eye.  I am debating if i should get my chalazion lanced out.  currently i have one eyelid heavier (thicker) along with small redness.  Can you advise if getting the procedure done is better than waiting it out?  thank you for all your help.

-skinlife

[JohnHaganMD]

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[dbigbumponmyeye]

I had the chalazion on my right upper eyelid for over 3 months..it was getting smaller then it started getting bigger again...I went to see an othamologist and he prescribe eye drops and pills because I had cellutist..I dont want to have surgery..therefore any suggestion on how I can make this bump soft so it can drain?

[arsh08]

why is no one replying to my question

[arsh08]

m having a chalzion on my left lower eye lid i just removed it and another one is coming or can say will grow help me how can i avoid it to grow to large size? an other thing if i dont treat it will it go away with time say 8 months or so?? it is irritating ...what to do surgery doesnt removes it completely right?

[arsh08]

m having a chalzion on my left lower eye lid i just removed it and another one is coming or can say will grow help me how can i avoid it to grow to large size? an other thing if i dont treat it will it go away with time say 8 months or so?????

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Gargoyle given that its been their 2 years that's a fair assertion.

JCH MD

[Gargoyle]

I a 31 years old woman and I have had a chalazion in my left eyelid for two years now and I am finally considering surgery. The chalazion is clearly visible and prevents me closing my eye fully. I saw an ophthalmologist last week and he said that most likely it will not disappear naturally since it has been there so long.

[Hey_itsbrandi]

I've had mine for five years now and never got it removed. I should really go get surgery though since its been growing

[JohnHaganMD]

Yes please see an ophthalmologist for a confirmation diagnosis and treatment.

[John C Hagan]

Probably 2-5 months. Ask your surgery for his/her estimate.

JCH III MD

[glamourcupcakes]

Okay, so I went ahead with the surgery and had it done just a few days after my last post. It's been a couple weeks or so now and the swelling and bruising has completely subsided, BUT my eyelid still looks "thicker" than the other one and it wasn't like this before the chalazion.

I've heard that there could be some scar tissue in there and it will go away in time...Do you know how long "in time" is? Also, will applying hot compress help speed up the recovery process?

Thank you once again.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

No one can tell you for sure what the eyelid will look like in 6 months. maybe better maybe worse maybe the same.

Provided the bump doesn't get bigger the surgery shouldn't be more difficult in another 6 months.

You might consider a second opinion with an oculo-plastic surgeon and Eye MD physician ophthalmologist that specializes in eyelids. They can also check for other causes of the lid drooping.

JCH III MD

[glamourcupcakes]

Thanks for your reply! :)

I am not impatient and am willing to wait months for it to go away. However, what are the chances that it will never go away and my body just seals it up and takes it as a normal part of me? Will the surgery be even harder to do and drain if I wait for one year? Or is it easier now?

Here are a couple pics so you can see what the condition of it is right now:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v78/babee_cake/65c4510b.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v78/babee_cake/11368f06.jpg

Note that you don't see a bump at all, but it is there, thus causing my right (your left) eye to be smaller. I would want to wait, but I'm afraid it will never go away since it's been around 6 months already.

Thanks again.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

There is no right or wrong answer. Some people the lump bothers and other's it doesn't. One of the most important things is to treat the blepharitis that causes these chalazions. Some people have 2, 3 or more chalazion.  Use the search feature on this page and look up "blepharitis" and "chalazion" to see past discussions.

Sometimes chalazions are so small its even hard to find them after injection the local anesthetic. A chalazion is never removed completely. It's not a single bump like a pea or BB. It's a difuse collection of material that is the consistency of grissle. It has to be scraped and curretted out. It's not like a pimple and full of pus that rushes out when its incised.

Bottom line: you will either need to decide to leave it alone and hope it gets smaller or goes away. (my experience is like what you were told. Most will shrink up over 6-12 months to a size that is too small to see.  Or if you are impatient you will need to go ahead with the surgery.

JCH III Eye MD

[legacy1]

I had a very similiar situation but waited only 2 months to have it excised. In my case, it was a simple and painless procedure. There are no traces left.