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Bid for Surgery: Blepharoplasty
Eyelid Surgery
( Blepharoplasty)
| Procedure: |
Correct drooping upper eyelids and puffy
bags below the eyes by removing excess fat, skin, and muscle. (Upper-eyelid surgery may be
covered by insurance if used to correct visual field defects) |
| Risk Factor: |
Temporary blurred or double vision.
Infection, bleeding. Swelling at the corners of the eyelids. Dry eyes. Formation of
whiteheads. Slight asymmetry in healing or scarring. Difficulty in closing eyes completely
(rarely permanent). Pulling down of the lower lids (may require further surgery).
Blindness (extremely rare). |
| Side Effects: |
Temporary discomfort, tightness of lids,
swelling, bruising. Temporary dryness, burning, itching of eyes. Excessive tearing,
sensitivity to light for first few weeks |
| Length: |
1 to 3 hrs |
| Anesthesia: |
Local with sedation, or general. |
| In/Out: |
Either depending on individual
circumstances and extent of surgery |
| Recovery: |
Reading: 2 or 3 days. Back to work: 7 to 10
days.
Contact lenses: two weeks or more. Strenuous activities, alcohol: about 3 weeks. Bruising
and swelling gone: several weeks. |
| Duration: |
Several years. Sometimes permanent. |
| The Procedure |
Eyelid surgery (technically called
blepharoplasty) is a procedure to remove fat--usually along with excess skin and muscle
from the upper and lower eyelids. Eyelid surgery can correct drooping upper lids and puffy
bags below your eyes - features that make you look older and more tired than you feel, and
may even interfere with your vision. However, it won't remove crow's feet or other
wrinkles, eliminate dark circles under your eyes, or lift sagging eyebrows. While it can
add an upper eyelid crease to Asian eyes, it will not erase evidence of your ethnic or
racial heritage. Blepharoplasty can be done alone, or in conjunction with other facial
surgery procedures such as a
facelift or browlift. |
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| The best candidates for belpharoplasy |
Blepharoplasty can enhance your appearance and
your self-confidence, but it won't necessarily change your looks to match your ideal, or
cause other people to treat you differently. Before you decide to have surgery, think
carefully about your expectations and discuss them with your surgeon.
The best candidates for eyelid surgery are men and women who are physically healthy,
psychologically stable, and realistic in their expectations. Most are 35 or older, but if
droopy, baggy eyelids run in your family, you may decide to have eyelid surgery at a
younger age. |
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| Types of anesthesia |
Eyelid surgery is usually performed under local
anesthesia--which numbs the area around your eyes--along with oral or intravenous
sedatives. You'll be awake during the surgery, but relaxed and insensitive to pain.
(However, you may feel some tugging or occasional discomfort.) Some surgeons prefer to use
general anesthesia; in that case, you'll sleep through the operation. |
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| The surgery |
Blepharoplasty usually takes one to three hours,
depending on the extent of the surgery. If you're having all four eyelids done, the
surgeon will probably work on the upper lids first, then the lower ones. 
Before surgery, the surgeon marks the
incision sites, following the natural
lines and creases of the upper and
lower eyelids.
In a typical procedure, the surgeon makes incisions following the natural
lines of your eyelids; in the creases of your upper lids, and just below the lashes in the
lower lids. The incisions may extend into the crow's feet or laugh lines at the outer
corners of your eyes. Working through these incisions, the surgeon separates the skin from
underlying fatty tissue and muscle, removes excess fat, and often
trims sagging skin and muscle. The incisions are then closed with very fine sutures.
Underlying fat, along with excess skin
and muscle, can be removed during the
operation.
If you have a pocket of fat beneath your lower eyelids but don't need to have any skin
removed, your surgeon may perform a transconjunctival blepharoplasty. In this procedure
the incision is made inside your lower eyelid, leaving no visible scar. It is usually
performed on younger patients with thicker, more elastic skin.
In a transconjunctival blepharoplasty,
a tiny incision is made inside the lower
eyelid and fat is removed with fine forceps.
No skin is removed, and the incision is either left to heal naturally or closed with
dissolving sutures. |
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| Do I have to stay in a hospital after
the surgery? |
Eyelid surgery may be performed in a surgeon's
office-based facility, an outpatient surgery center, or a hospital. It's usually
done on an outpatient basis; rarely does it require an inpatient stay. |
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| Risk factors, complications, side effects?
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When eyelid surgery is performed by a qualified
cosmetic surgeon, complications are infrequent and usually minor. Nevertheless, there is
always a possibility of complications, including infection or a reaction to the
anesthesia. You can reduce your risks by closely following your surgeon's
instructions both before and after surgery.
The minor complications that occasionally follow blepharoplasty include double or blurred
vision
for a few days; temporary swelling at the corner of the eyelids; and a slight asymmetry in
healing or scarring. Tiny whiteheads may appear after your stitches are taken out; your
surgeon can remove them easily with a very fine needle.
Following surgery, some patients may have difficulty closing their eyes when they sleep;
in rare cases this condition may be permanent. Another very rare complication is
ectropion, a pulling down of the lower lids. In this case, further surgery may be
required. |
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| How long would recovery take? |
After surgery, the surgeon will probably
lubricate your eyes with ointment and may apply a bandage. Your eyelids may feel tight and
sore as the anesthesia wears off, but you can control any discomfort with the pain
medication prescribed by your surgeon. If you feel any severe pain, call your surgeon
immediately.
Your surgeon will instruct you to keep your head elevated for several days, and to use
cold compresses to reduce swelling and bruising. (Bruising varies forn person to person:
it reaches its peak during the first week, and generally lasts anywhere from two weeks to
a month.) You'll be shown how to clean your eyes, which may be gummy for a week or so.
Many doctors recommend
eyedrops, since your eyelids may feel dry at first and your eyes may burn or itch. For the
first few weeks you may also experience excessive tearing, sensitivity to light, and
temporary changes in your eyesight, such as blurring or double vision.
Your surgeon will follow your progress very closely for the first week or two. The
stitches will be removed two days to a week after surgery. Once they're out, the swelling
and discoloration around your eyes will gradually subside, and you'll start to look and
feel much better. |
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| Would I have a new look? |
Healing is a gradual process, and your scars may
remain slightly pink for six months or more after surgery. Eventually, though, they'll
fade to a thin, nearly invisible white line. |
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Cost of this procedure varies with region from a low of
$2,000
to a high of $5,000. This cost includes surgeon's fee,
anesthesia, and facility costs. |
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