Blepharoplasty Eyelid Surgery & Eye Lifts

You should understand that the recovery time is different for every patient and that you can do a lot to help and speed it up. In some cases, the feeling of tightness in the eyes will disappear within a week. This is to ensure that you are as comfortable as can be, with a minimum of pain and swelling, and to increase chances for a good outcome. Some patients may find this a little too difficult, but sleeping in this position is a necessity, as sleeping in any other position can compromise the results and bring about discomfort.
Prior to the procedure, your surgeon carefully measures and uses a pen to mark the best place on your upper lid for a natural-looking crease. The double eyelid surgery photos in our gallery have been shared by the surgeon who performed the procedure, with the patient's consent. An oft-cited blepharoplasty 2015 Korea Gallup report estimates that one in three women ages 19  to 29 years old in Seoul, South Korea, have undergone cosmetic surgery, with double eyelid surgery being the most popular. Double eyelid surgery is an increasingly popular procedure among people from Asian communities.

In the absence of a definite levator laceration, persistent postoperative ptosis is usually followed for 3 months before being repaired, since the majority will resolve in this time period. However, another approach to management to postoperative ptosis is to wait the 3 months and then perform a posterior Fasanella-Servat procedure. This fast and predictable approach avoids opening the anterior wound and also avoids overcorrection and scar abnormalities. When skin shortage dictates skin graft placement, the technique is similar to that for other forms of cicatricial ectropion. The previous scar is opened up, internal adhesions are widely released . The lid is placed on upward traction to facilitate this process, and an appropriately sized full-thickness graft is contoured to fit the defect after the eyelid is tightened horizontally.
Duration of the surgery varies based on the specifics of the procedure. Furthermore, as time goes by, the scars will lighten which makes them almost invisible to the naked eye. Although it is ideal to sleep on your back during the first few days, accidentally turning to your side while sleeping shouldn’t cause serious problems as long as pressure is not applied on the operated area. It’s also important that you do not smoke and avoid alcohol during your recovery.

Your provider may also ask about past or current conditions such as dry eyes, glaucoma, allergies, circulatory problems, thyroid problems and diabetes. Your provider will also ask about your use of drugs, vitamins, herbal supplements, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs. Besides aging, severely sagging skin around the eyes can reduce side vision , especially the upper and outer parts of the visual field. If non-dissolving sutures are used, then your surgeon will remove them about a week after the procedure. Your surgeon also may use a carbon dioxide laser to enhance the procedure by resurfacing skin and smoothing out any remaining wrinkles in the eyelid and eyebrow area.
After the procedure is complete, the incisions that were made to the eyelids will be secured with suture strips to encourage healthy healing and support the new eyelid shape. Usually the post-operative appointment will take place four to five days after the procedure where the stitches will be removed. An incision is created 1-2 mm inferior to the eyelash line or within a preexisting infraciliary crease, extending to a lateral eyelid crease. A skin “pinch” may be used to determine the amount of redundancy by crushing the skin with a hemostat without causing traction on the eyelid margin. Alternatively, a skin flap may be created, extending as far as necessary to adequate mobilization without distortion of the shape of the eyelid aperture. A conservative amount of skin is removed to avoid anterior lamellar shortage.
Check your insurance plan and speak with your provider about whether or not eyelid surgery is covered. Following the surgery, you may experience puffiness, pain, and swelling in the eye area. The surgeon will then remove or reposition fat deposits, tighten muscles, or remove excess skin. Cosmetic eyelid surgery is typically performed as an outpatient procedure. What are the most common signs of aging around the eyes, and what can be done about it? Kevin J. Cross, MD There are numerous signs of aging skin around the eyes that are best corrected with a procedure such as blepharoplasty, also known as eyelid surgery.

Wilhelmi BJ, Mowlavi A, Neumeister MW. Upper blepharoplasty with bony anatomical landmarks to avoid injury to trochlea and superior oblique muscle tendon with fat resection. Dr Tony Prochazka has over 20 years of experience with such procedures as Gynaecomastia, Thread Lift, Breast Augmentation, Liposculpture, etc. Dr Tony was the Inaugural Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery, and a former vice-president of the Cosmetic Physicians Society of Australasia.
Finally, management of complications is just as important as surgical technique. Dr. Watts performs blepharoplasty surgery on an outpatient basis using local anaesthesia with sedation. The length of the procedure will depend on many factors including extent of repair and combination with other procedures but on average takes 1-2 hours to complete. Incisions for upper eyelid surgery are usually placed inside the natural crease of the lid, where visible scarring will be minimal.

Sagging of the skin around your eyes is a natural part of aging, but you may consider this type of surgery if you’re starting to find such effects bothersome. Candidates also seek out blepharoplasty if they have significant bags under their eyes or if their eyebrows are starting to sag. If sagging skin on the eyelids obscures your field of vision, your insurance plan may cover all or part of the surgery.
The thin membrane that holds the fat in place weakens with age, letting the fat come forward into the lids like a hernia. Eyelid surgery usually takes about two hours to complete if both upper and lower eyelids are completed at the same time. Typically, a local anesthesia is combined with conscious sedation (also known as “twilight sleep”). After your consultation with Dr Sharp, if there’s a possibility that your surgery meets Medicare’s criteria, you will be provided with an item number. We recommend you contact your health insurance provider and ask them if you are covered for plastic surgery, particularly siting the item number provided.

Prior trauma or facial surgery, local nerve palsies, and more rare connective tissue disorders or tumors may exaggerate this condition. These normal anatomical changes occur in varying amounts with age. Genetic predisposition and familial inheritance are the strongest predisposing factors to dermatochalasis. Additionally, higher body mass index, male sex, lighter skin color, and current smoking may be additional risk factors.
There’s also lower lid fat re-distribution to reduce that puffy eyelid look beneath your eyes. With advancing age, eyelid tissues may undergo dramatic morphological changes which involve elastolysis and collagen rearrangement and result in excess eyelid skin—a condition known as dermatochalasis. In a recent modification, downward rotation of the CPF, OS, and orbital fat complex through a subciliary incision to camouflage the tear trough deformity showed excellent results. Prioritising quality care– Dr Blennerhassett will personally oversee your recovery. You will be advised to rest for a period of several days following the surgery.
This procedure is performed under local anaesthetic in his Brisbane or Ipswich clinics, or under general anaesthetic in hospital. Also, the fat that surrounds and protects the eyeball can leak forward through the skin of the upper and lower eyelids. Excess skin, muscle, and fat can pull down the upper eyelid and, in some cases, obstruct vision.