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More than any other facial feature, your eyes are the most revealing. When someone first meets you, your eyes are the first thing they notice. Puffy, drooping eyelids can interfere with your vision and make you look tired. Eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty, can remove the excess fat and drooping skin of the eyelids, giving a more alert and rested appearance.
What is Eyelid Surgery?
Eyelid surgery or a blepharoplasty procedure can make the face appear several years younger. The expression of the face may also generally seem friendlier, happier, and more energetic. Blepharoplasty trims redundant and sagging tissue from the upper or lower eyelids. As a result, the eyes will always look younger than they did before surgery.
Candidates for Eyelid Surgery
Eyelid surgeries are performed on men and women of all ages who want to improve their appearance. These surgeries are usually performed to minimize the effects of aging on the eyes and face. The best candidates are in good overall health and have one or more of these problems:
Upper Eyelid Surgery
- Excess skin hiding the natural fold
- Skin hanging over the eyelid margin
- Puffiness of the upper eyelid
Lower Eyelid Surgery
- Excess skin and wrinkles of the lower eyelids
- Puffy bags under the eyes
- Sagging lower eyelids
In addition to its cosmetic benefits, eyelid surgery can improve some medical problems that affect the eyelids and need to be taken into consideration, including:
- Thyroid problems
- Abnormally dry eyes
- Glaucoma or detached retina
Eyelid Surgery Procedure
How your eyelid surgery is performed depends on whether you’re addressing the upper or lower eyelids, and the procedure is customized to suit your cosmetic or medical needs. Upper eyelid surgery involves an incision along the natural lid crease about one-third of an inch above your eyelashes. Our skilled facial plastic surgeon will remove excess skin tissue, muscle, and fat. When you’ve healed, the scar is camouflaged well within the crease of your eyelid.
For lower eyelid surgery, an incision is typically made just beneath the eyelashes so Dr. Young can remove excess skin and fat. Occasionally, the fat is not removed and instead repositions in areas of hollowness. If only fat is removed, it can sometimes be done with an incision inside the lower lid called a “transconjunctival blepharoplasty.”
Eyelid surgery is often combined with other facial plastic surgeries, such as a brow lift or facelift.
Eyelid Surgery Recovery and Results
- 1-3 weeks
- Low activity
Eyelid surgery is an outpatient procedure, which means you can go home afterward, but you’ll need a loved one to take you home and help you get settled. You may have bruising and swelling early on, and it’s expected to have increased swelling a day and a half after surgery. Using ice packs over the eyelids for the first 24-48 hours can help with this inflammation, as well as keeping your head elevated. Saline eye drops can help with dry eyes, and Dr. Young may give you an antibiotic ointment to apply twice a day over the incision.
Our patients come into Advanced Cosmetic Surgery for several visits—consultation, pre-operative, post-operative, and follow-up care. Dr. Young will have you come the day after your eyelid surgery to check your healing process. Eyelid sutures are usually removed in about three days. Around two weeks after the surgery, most, if not all, swelling and bruising should subside.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Can I combine Eyelid Surgery with other procedures?
Yes. Blepharoplasty focuses only on the upper and lower eyelids. For more significant rejuvenation, patients may combine this procedure with techniques such as a brow lift, mid-face lift, or even with various nonsurgical treatments that may minimize the appearance of frown lines, crow’s feet, and other fine lines and wrinkles.
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Is Eyelid Surgery Painful?
Both upper and lower blepharoplasty are performed using either general anesthesia or a local anesthetic. In either situation, patients are completely comfortable during their surgery. Afterward, they may rely on a prescription painkiller for a day or two while their body begins to recover from the tissue trimming that has been done. While it can take up to 2 weeks for patients to be ready to return to work, this is usually due to residual bruising and swelling, not pain. The majority of soreness and tenderness resolve within a couple of days after the eyelid surgery.
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Are there any risks associated with Eyelid Surgery?
The risks of eyelid surgery are minimal and are managed beginning at the consultation visit and through careful surgical planning. Dr. Young performs meticulous incisions and tissue repositioning to manage the risk of overcorrection. Too much tightening of the upper eyelid could make it difficult to fully close the eyes. Risks including bleeding, bruising, infection, and excessive swelling can be managed by strictly following the pre- and post-operative instructions provided by the office.
Generally, blepharoplasty is considered a conservative, safe, and effective cosmetic procedure. It is performed over 300,000 times a year in our country. It is one of the most common plastic surgery procedures, and rarely results in complications.
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How should I prepare for Eyelid Surgery?
Surgical preparation may vary depending on each patient’s individual situation. For example, patients who smoke must quit several weeks before their procedure. Smoking is one of the main risk factors that contribute to surgical complications and poor wound healing. Patients who take blood-thinners may need to talk with their prescribing physician to discuss potential modifications to dosing or alternative therapies for a short time before surgery.
General recommendations to prepare for eyelid surgery include:
- Avoid supplements and over-the-counter medications that thin the blood. These increase the risk of bruising and excessive bleeding. Examples of over-the-counter blood-thinners include aspirin, ibuprofen, garlic, fish oil, ginkgo biloba, and vitamin E. For minor aches and pains that occur before surgery, patients may contact our office for an approved remedy
- Avoid tanning and excessive sun exposure in the few weeks before surgery
- Limit or completely avoid alcohol consumption in the week before surgery. Alcohol is also a blood-thinner
- Pick up prescriptions and recommended supplies in the week before surgery
- Purchase extra pillows if necessary to help maintain comfortable elevation while sleeping
- Arrange to have a loved one drive to the office or surgical center and see you home. It is beneficial to have someone stay with you for 24 to 48 hours after eyelid surgery.
If you have cosmetic and vision concerns with sagging eyelids, please contact our board-certified plastic surgeon in Kansas City today at (913) 341-2188 to schedule your consultation. Advanced Cosmetic Surgery specializes in facial plastic surgeries and provides several options for relieving tired eyes.
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Are My Eyelid Surgery results permanent?
The results of blepharoplasty are not permanent in that the aging process is ongoing. At some point, patients may notice lines and slight tissue laxity around the eyes. However, this is typically subtle and does not warrant a second eyelid lift procedure. The signs of aging can often be managed nonsurgically as needed.
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