What is Blepharoplasty? What conditions can be treated?
Blepharoplasty restores a more youthful gaze by correcting loose skin, pouching, sagging around the ey
es, sunken eyes, and sagging cheeks.
For upper eyelids, the surgery sharpens the crease, contours the lids, and reshapes the eyes. Excessive saggy eyelids due to heavy brows can also be corrected. For Asians, double eyelid surgery can create wider looking eyes.
For lower eyelids, correctable conditions include eyebags, sunken eyes, skin laxity, and sagging cheeks.
For the aging upper eyelids, via an incision in the natural crease, the eyelid skin, muscle, fat, and other soft tissue are reconfigured. For excessive saggy eyelids due to heavy brows, simultaneous brow lifting with frown line reduction via the same upper lid incision can be carried out, eliminating additional incision. For Asians, reattachment of soft tissue helps to form a new crease.
For lower eyelids, external or internal incisions are often combined with muscle tightening, fat replacement, and chemical or laser skin resurfacing.
The surgery takes about one to two hours, depending on the complexity of the conditions. Most procedures may need only local anesthesia. The surgery is usually performed at an outpatient surgery center.
When and What Results Might Be Expected? How long does the results last?
Immediate modest to dramatic appearance of wider or more restful looking eyes may be expected. Results of surgery generally last from years to a decade.
What is the recovery like? When can I return to work and activities?
Recovery usually takes one week. Some swelling and mild bruising are expected. Postoperative cold compresses, anti-bruising medicine, drops, and ointments are often helpful. Use of prescribed pain medicine usually is not necessary. Make-up can be applied within one week. Most patients return to work and regular activities in one week.
Any treatments to help maintain or enhance my results?
Minor adjustments, maintenance, or further enhancements can often be done non-surgically with procedures and products such as eye creams, BOTOX®, Fillers, Thermage, laser, and the EyeLift procedure. More extensive changes may require further surgical shaping.