A loss of skin elasticity combined with decreased tissue volume frequently results in sagging skin on both the upper and lower eyelids, causing wrinkles and bulges. On the upper lid, this can cause the extra skin to hang low over the eye itself, even going so far as to obstruct the patient’s vision. On the lower lid, excess skin and decreased tissue strength can cause the eyelid to droop.
Eyelid surgery, also known as blepharoplasty or an eye lift, can be performed on the upper eyelids, lower eyelids, or both. It can help restore more youthful contours to the eyelids and the area around the eyes.
How Does It Work?
This procedure is performed while you are either under general anesthesia or through intravenous sedation and in some patients can be performed while the patient is awake, alert, and the area is numbed using local anesthesia.
For the upper eyelid, the incision is made along the crease of the eyelid, enabling us to reduce and / or reposition the fat deposits and remove excess skin, revitalizing the area around your eye and sometimes improving your ability to see.
For the lower lid, we usually make one of two different incisions to best address your concerns. The first option involves making an incision just below the lower lash line, through which we can remove or reposition excess fat or remove excess skin if necessary. The second option uses an incision made on the inside of the lower eyelid to rearrange or remove fat in order to correct conditions of the lower eyelid.
What This Procedure Can And Can’t Do
A blepharoplasty is an effective option to treat sagging eyelids that are a result of the aging process. With this procedure, we can effectively treat upper lids that hang down and obscure vision; lower lids that droop and bulging fat deposits that have shifted out of place.
However, eyelid surgery will not eliminate facial wrinkles such as crow’s feet, nor will it raise the brow. As these conditions with your eyelids are often accompanied by others, for those choosing a blepharoplasty, we may offer options for combining your eyelid procedure with another treatment option based on your desired results.
How Will You Determine What Surgical Technique Will Be Used In My Eyelid Surgery?
This is always established through an in-person evaluation of your eyes’ overall condition to help us determine what surgical procedure will produce the most improvement and give you the best results. Each patient has different treatment goals, desires, and anatomic changes with aging and that is why we’ll want to sit down and talk through the ideal option for you and your eyelids.
How Long Does Eyelid Surgery Take To Perform?
The surgery itself requires about one to three hours, depending upon the patient’s goals and the extent of correction needed.
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