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Eyelids

What is blepharoplasty?

Blepharoplasty is a procedure to remove fat and excess skin and muscle from the upper and lower eyelids. Eyelids can give us a tired and older appearance than we actually have. In some cases they can even interfere with vision.

Eyelid surgery can be performed in isolation or in conjunction with other cosmetic surgeries of the face, such as the cervicofacial lift or the frontal lift.

It is important to know that blepharoplasty does not eliminate “crow’s feet” or other wrinkles near the eyes, nor does it eliminate eyebrows.

 
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Who is a good candidate for eyelid surgery?

Blepharoplasty patients are generally 35 years of age or older, but in some cases with a family tendency to have bags, the patients are younger.

Below is an introduction to what you can expect from a facelift.

 

Are there risks? Are there guarantees?

When this procedure is performed by a qualified plastic surgeon, complications are infrequent and of little importance. However, there are always possibilities of complications, such as infection or anesthetic reactions. Risks can be minimized by carefully following your plastic surgeon’s instructions, both before and after surgery. Minor complications that may appear after a blepharoplasty include double or blurred vision for a few days, temporary eyelid edema, and slight asymmetries in healing. After surgery, it may appear difficult to completely close the eyelids during sleep. Another rare complication is ectropion, which may require surgical correction.

Eyelid surgery

The blepharoplasty lasts between 40 minutes and 2 hours, depending on whether it is from the top, bottom, or both. It is usually not necessary to stay in the clinic for more than a few hours after surgery.

It is usually performed under general anesthesia, although sometimes local anesthesia plus sedation is chosen.

If you are going to do surgery on all four eyelids, you usually start with the upper ones. Incisions are normally made in the natural lines of the upper eyelids and just below the lashes in the lower ones. Through these incisions, the skin is separated from the underlying fat and muscle, removing excess fat, and sometimes excess skin and muscle, and the incisions are closed with very fine sutures.

In young patients with only excess fat, transconjunctival blepharoplasty of the lower eyelids can be performed; the incision is placed inside the lower eyelid leaving no visible scar.

 

After eyelid surgery

There may be discomfort in the eyelid area that is easily relieved with the medication prescribed by your surgeon. You will have to keep your head elevated for a few days after surgery and apply cold compresses to decrease inflammation and bruising. During the first few weeks after blepharoplasty, you may notice excessive tearing, hypersensitivity to light, and temporary changes in visual acuity. The stitches are removed between 2 days and the week. The edema and bruising will gradually subside until it completely disappears, and you will begin to look and feel much better.

Most patients who have a blepharoplasty begin to read or watch television in 2-3 days. However, you will not be able to wear contact lenses, if you wear them, until 2 weeks, and still you may feel uncomfortable for a while. It may be necessary to wear sunglasses for a few weeks and apply sunscreen to the eyelids. You should maintain a relative rest for 3 to 5 days and avoid heavy activities for 3 weeks.

 

The results

Scars may appear pink in the first few months after eyelid surgery. They will gradually disappear until they become an almost invisible clear line. The results of blepharoplasty, a younger and more awake appearance, remain for years; in many cases the results are permanent.
 

Techniques

Preoperative appearance

Design of the skin areas to be removed

Excess fat and skin will be removed during surgery

Resulting incisions

In transconjunctival blepharoplasty the incision is made through the conjunctiva

Postoperative appearance