Eyelid Surgery

Related terms for "Eyelid Surgery": Blepharoplasty, Eyelid Lift, Brow Lift

Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) is a surgical procedure that corrects sagging skin around the eyes. This results in a younger and less tired look, and can even produce a better field of vision in some cases.

What is Eyelid Surgery?

Eyelid surgery (also 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 (a brow lift). 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 browlift.
Eyelid surgery is performed on adults of all ages. Some people have eyelid surgery to correct problems that are the result of aging, while others have inherited traits that cause them to seek treatment as early as their 20s or 30s

Any one or combination of the following conditions may indicate that you are a good candidate for eyelid surgery:

• excess skin obscuring the natural fold of the upper eyelids
• loose skin hanging down from the upper eyelids, perhaps impairing vision
• a puffy appearance to the upper eyelids, making the eyes look tired
• excess skin and fine, crepey wrinkles of the lower eyelids
• bags and dark circles under the eyes, often with a depression along the bony border of the lower eyelids
• droopiness of the lower eyelids, showing white below the iris (colored portion of the eye)

Eyelid surgery can usually correct these problems, though other treatments may also need to be considered

How is the Procedure Performed?

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 occasional discomfort.) Some surgeons prefer to use general anesthesia; in that case, you'll sleep through the operation.
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.
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.

What is the Recovery Period Like?

You won't be able to wear contact lenses for about two weeks, and even then they may feel uncomfortable for a while. Most people feel ready to go out in public (and back to work) in a week to 10 days. By then, depending on your rate of healing and your doctor's instructions, you'll probably be able to wear makeup to hide any bruising that may remain. You may be sensitive to sunlight, wind, and other irritants for several weeks, so you should wear sunglasses and a special sunblock made for eyelids when you go out.

Your surgeon will probably tell you to keep your activities to a minimum for three to five days, and to avoid more strenuous activities for about three weeks. It's especially important to avoid activities that raise your blood pressure, including bending, lifting, and rigorous sports. You may also be told to avoid alcohol, since it causes fluid retention.