Eyelid Surgery

Eyelid surgery or 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. Eyelid surgery can be done alone, or in conjunction with other facial surgery procedures such as a facelift or browlift.

 

Average Length

1 to 3 hours

 

Anesthesia

Usually local with sedation or general

 

Inpatient/Outpatient

Usually outpatient

 

Risks

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) and/or blindness (extremely rare).

 

Recovery

Reading within 2 or 3 days and back to work in 7 to 10 days. Ability to wear contact lenses two weeks or more.

Avoid strenuous activities and alcohol for 3 weeks. Bruising and swelling gone in several weeks.

 

Am I Good Candidate?

Most individuals are 35 or older, but if droopy, baggy eyelids run in your family, you may decide to have eyelid surgery at a younger age. A few medical conditions make eyelid surgery more risky. They include thyroid problems such as hypothyroidism and Graves' disease, dry eye or lack of sufficient tears, high blood pressure or other circulatory disorders, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. A detached retina or glaucoma is also reason for caution; check with your ophthalmologist before you have surgery.