Recovery
<1 Week
Surgery Length
< 0.5 Hour
Anesthesia Type
Local
Insurance
Variable
What Are the Most Common Types of Eyelid Bumps?
There are many different types of eyelid bumps. Most are benign lesions such as skin tags, papilloma, moles, cysts, xanthelasma. However, some eyelid bumps can be cancerous. The most common types of eyelid skin cancer include basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Lesions that have been present for a long time and have remained unchanged are more likely to be benign.
If you have an eyelid lesion/bump that has been growing, bleeding, ulcerating, and associated with eyelash loss, then it would be prudent to seek timely evaluation with an oculofacial plastic surgeon like Dr. Shannon S. Joseph. Depending on her examination findings, Dr. Joseph may recommend a biopsy of the lesion to determine whether it is benign or cancerous.
Eyelid bump removal is a minor procedure performed in the clinic procedure room. Dr. Joseph will provide topical and local anesthetic to numb the area around the eyelid bump. The lesion will then be removed or incised, depending on the clinical features of the lesion. Often a biopsy will be performed, and the specimen will be sent for pathology. The eyelid bump removal procedure typically takes less than 30 minutes. The procedure site may have bruising and swelling after the procedure but usually heals beautifully. There tends to be minimal discomfort after this procedure.
If the pathology of the eyelid bump is cancerous, then the skin cancer will need to be properly treated. In most cases, this means surgical excision of the skin cancer while ensuring there are no residual cancer cells. Read more about how we management skin cancer around the eyes here.
Eyelid surgery can be challenging because the eyelid skin is the thinnest in the body, and eyelid anatomy is intricate and complex. Surgical procedures to remove bumps on the eyelids should be performed by surgeons who have expertise in the eyelids.
Dr. Joseph is a fellowship-trained oculofacial plastic surgeon who has extensive experience in plastic surgery around the eyes. In addition, Dr. Joseph is a board-certified ophthalmologist, which means she also has a keen understanding of what it takes to protect the health of the eyes and always takes this into consideration when performing eyelid surgery. Learn more about why patients choose us.
If the eyelid bump is causing irritation or has concerning features such as growing, ulcerating, and bleeding, insurance may cover the removal and biopsy of the lesion. Benign appearing lesions without irritation and concerning clinical features, such as xanthelasma and moles, are usually not covered by insurance and considered cosmetic. Our practice is currently not taking new patients who would like to use insurance for this procedure.
Schedule a Consultation
If you are bothered by an eyelid bump and would like an evaluation, please contact us to schedule a personal consultation with Dr. Joseph. She will perform a comprehensive evaluation and take the time to discuss what the appropriate next steps of management would be. We take care of patients from Troy, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, West Bloomfield, Rochester Hills, Rochester, and the rest of Metro Detroit and Southeastern Michigan.