Welcome to Chalazion.me

My personal struggle against a chalazion: The surgical operation!

step by step

Chalazion surgery step 1
H-2
Really feeling a lot of stress, as you can imagine! But since nothing I had tried worked, I had to try an operation. The ophthalmologist I went to see is a specialist in children's care, so that was reassuring.
After studying my chalazion, the doctor suggested making an incision on the outside of the eyelid, because he determined that my chalazion was already very large and very encysted. This was perfect for me, because I didn't really want to have my eyelid turned inside out. I had already had an eyelid turned inside out once by an ophthalmologist, and it wasn't a very pleasant experience.
Chalazion surgery step 2
H+15
The operation gets underway: Lie on the table. Drops in my eyes to anaesthetize them. It doesn't hurt, but you can sense the movement of the needles. The rest went fine. He opened up and removed the whole chalazion. It took longer than expected because it was bigger than he had thought. That led to a big problem at the end: Since a large part of my eyelid had been damaged by the cyst and the procedure lasted longer than expected, the anaesthetic started to wear off quickly, and I felt an immense pain. I was in a lot of pain for an hour. On the photo, you can see the sutures and my eye is really swollen.
Chalazion surgery step 3
H+28
The contour of the eye begins to turn red or start to get yellow. I have cream and drops to put in twice a day. My ophthalmologist asked me to keep a compress on my eye for 48 hours to avoid getting dirt in the wound.
Chalazion surgery step 4
D+2
My eyelid doesn't hurt at all now, and that's great! So I could finally remove the compress, and that way I no longer looked like a pirate.
Chalazion surgery step 5
D+3
Today, there are more and more colors
Chalazion surgery step 6
D+4
Nothing new to report
Chalazion surgery step 7
D+5
My eyelid started to go down a little in size, so it's becoming a little less noticeable as I walk down the street.
Chalazion surgery step 8
D+9
After 9 days of cream and drops, my eyelid has almost gone back down its original size before I had the chalazion.
Chalazion surgery step 9
D+70
My eyelid has gone practically back to how it looked before the chalazion appeared. My lashes however point a little bit upward at the spot where it was the most swollen. Another issue I haven't raised till now: a nerve was cut when making the incision, and I lost sensation everywhere below the incision.

news

  • One month later
    Impression of swelling on the eyelid
    So, one month after this operation, of course the chalazion is gone, but I can sometimes feel a swelling sensation.
  • Two months later
    Inflammation
    Two months after the chalazion is removed, the blepharitis comes back. I get red eyes from time to time.
  • Three months later
    Sterdex and Hyabak
    Three months later: Sometimes, when my eyes are red (blepharitis), I put in some Sterdex. They also advised me to use Hyabak several times a day in order to keep my eyes moist.


Glossary of terms used

A chalazion (; plural chalazia or chalazions) or meibomian cyst is not a cyst but a granuloma in the eyelid that results from a blocked meibomian gland. It typically occurs in the middle of the eyelid, red, and not painful. They tend to come on gradually over a few weeks.

A chalazion may occur following a stye or from hardened oils blocking the gland. The blocked gland is usually the meibomian gland, but can also be the gland of Zeis.

A stye and cellulitis may appear similar. A stye, however, is usually more sudden in onset, painful, and occurs at the edge of the eyelid. Cellulitis is also typically painful.

Treatment is initiated with warm compresses. In addition, antibiotic/corticosteroid eyedrops or ointment may be used. If this is not effective, injecting corticosteroids into the lesion may be tried. If large, incision and drainage may be recommended. While relatively common, the frequency of the condition is unknown. It is most common in people 30–50 years of age, and equally common in males and females. The term is from Ancient Greek χαλάζιον (khalazion) 'small hailstone'.


Blepharitis, sometimes known as granulated eyelids, is one of the most common ocular conditions characterized by inflammation, scaling, reddening, and crusting of the eyelid. This condition may also cause swelling, burning, itching, or a grainy sensation when introducing foreign objects or substances to the eye. Although blepharitis by itself is not sight-threatening, it can lead to permanent alterations of the eyelid margin. The primary cause is bacteria and inflammation from congested meibomian oil glands at the base of each eyelash. Other conditions may give rise to blepharitis, whether they be infectious or noninfectious, including, but not limited to, bacterial infections or allergies.

Different variations of blepharitis can be classified as seborrheic, staphylococcal, mixed, posterior or meibomitis, or parasitic. In a survey of US ophthalmologists and optometrists, 37% to 47% of patients seen by those surveyed had signs of blepharitis, which can affect all ages and ethnic groups. One single-center study of 90 patients with chronic blepharitis found that the average age of patients was 50 years old. The word is from Greek βλέφαρον (blepharon) 'eyelid' and -itis 'inflammation of'.


A stye, also known as a hordeolum, is a bacterial infection of an oil gland in the eyelid. This results in a red tender bump at the edge of the eyelid. The outside or the inside of the eyelid can be affected.

The cause of a stye is usually a bacterial infection by Staphylococcus aureus. Internal styes are due to infection of the meibomian gland while external styes are due to an infection of the gland of Zeis. A chalazion on the other hand is a blocked meibomian gland without infection. A chalazion is typically in the middle of the eyelid and not painful.

Often a stye will go away without any specific treatment in a few days or weeks. Recommendations to speed improvement include warm compresses. Occasionally antibiotic eye ointment may be recommended. While these measures are often recommended, there is little evidence for use in internal styes. The frequency at which styes occur is unclear, though they may occur at any age.


Meibomian glands (also called tarsal glands, palpebral glands, and tarsoconjunctival glands) are sebaceous glands along the rims of the eyelid inside the tarsal plate. They produce meibum, an oily substance that prevents evaporation of the eye's tear film. Meibum prevents tears from spilling onto the cheek, traps them between the oiled edge and the eyeball, and makes the closed lids airtight. There are about 25 such glands on the upper eyelid, and 20 on the lower eyelid.

Dysfunctional meibomian glands is believed to be the most often cause of dry eyes. They are also the cause of posterior blepharitis.