Blepharoplasty and surgery of the eyelids

The eyes are the windows of the soul, we are told, and the eyelids play an important role in the human expression. Blepharoplasty is cosmetic eyelid surgery. Eyelid surgery is one of the most common cosmetic procedures done by men. Eyelid surgery can be undertaken for the following reasons :

1. To improve the appearance of the upper or lower eyelids, or both, give a younger appearance to the surrounding area of the eyes, making one look more rested and alert. This is especially true when there are bags under the eyes, or the eyelids are wrinkled with excess skin.
2. To correct anatomical or post-traumatic anomalies, such as excessive ptosis, sagging eyelids or excess skin. Sometimes the skin excess of the upper eyelids makes the skin hanging down over the eyelashes and blocking part of the vision like by a wide hat.

Sometimes the sagging of the upper eyelids are caused by a too low position of the eye brows. If this is the case a blepharoplasty alone will not improve the eyelids, but has to be combined with a browlift , that will fixate the eyebrows in the right position

THE PROCEDURE

The precautions

An ophthalmological examination must be done before eyelid surgery. Specific items to look for will be dryness of the eyes and an eyesight examination. It is recommended to stop aspirine or any other anti-inflammatory dot the 2 weeks before surgery.

The operation

Eyelid surgery is done under local anesthesia with intravenous sedation. The operation lasts one or two hours. The patient may receive general anesthesia if any other surgery is going to be done at the same time as the blepharoplasty, like a  facelift or a browlift

A few hours of observation afterwards is required

The surgeon removes excess skin, and sometimes excess fat but is also works on the surrounding muscles, in order to correct the sagging effect and to create a youthful look

Postoperative care

Moderate swelling and bruising will take several days to disappear. It is important to use some cooling dressing every 4 hours during the – first 3 days. Sleep with 2 extra pillows during the first week. No physical activity during 1 week. The stitches are removed after 3 – 7 days. Avoid exposure to the sun for three months following eyelid surgery. Total block sunscreen can be applied to the eyelids for protection.

Complications

As in any surgical procedure, they are always possible but seldom occur (bruising, infection, anesthetic complications).

Specific complications, again always possible, but exceptional:

• Excessive skin excision (rounded eye effect)
• Eversion or retraction of the lower eyelid may cause the eyelid to pull away from the eye surface (“ectropion”),. This can be corrected with a second procedure.

The results

The final results after cosmetic eyelid surgery are obtained after several months. The eyelid scars are practically invisible. The patient’s expression is refreshed and looks younger.

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