Blepharoplasty is better known as eyelid surgery.It is a cosmetic procedure that is designed to remove excess skin or fat from eyelids.People with eyelids that droop, sag, or appear ‘hooded’ often undergo blepharoplasty. It is a procedure that is performed under general anaesthetic or under local anaesthetic with sedation, depending on the extent of the operation.
Loose skin on the eyelid creates folds that give the impression of heaviness, whereas loose skin under the eye creates bags making one look permanently tired. With blepharoplasty, the eyelid, the eye bag or both, can be operated upon at one time to give more youthful appearance to your eyes. If you are considering eyelid surgery, you can discuss your needs and goals with a professional eye cosmetic surgeon, who will be able to advise what is best for you.
Blepharoplasty is often performed with a scalpel, but can also be carried out with laser technology.Eyelid surgery can be performed on either the upper or lower eyelid, or both. The ultimate goal with blepharoplasty is to restore the look and function of the eyelid by removing excess skin. The procedure can also smooth out and tighten the lower eyelid, which gives a smoother look between the eyelid and the cheek.
Surgery Time:
1 to 1.5 hoursHospital Stay:
Day CaseRecovery Time:
6 WeeksWhy Do People Have it?
There are a number of reasons why both men and women choose to have eyelid surgery.Who is Suitable?
The best candidates for blepharoplasty are individuals generally 30 years old or older who are in good health and who have no other eye conditions. Tell your doctor if you have any of the following conditions:
The first step for all of our patients is to meet with the surgeon we feel is best placed to perform your procedure for a consultation.
If your surgeon feels you are a good candidate for surgery, you are then invited to consider whether you would like to proceed for surgery or otherwise following a two-week cooling-off period. Within this period you are welcome to come in and discuss your potential surgery with your surgeon as many times as you like.
Preparing for Eyelid Surgery
On the day before Surgery
Blepharoplasty surgery is most commonly performed under local anaesthetic.Before opting for this procedure, it is important that you make your consultant aware of any medications you are currently taking, particularly blood thinners.Surgery on the upper eyelids is carried out by a professional eye surgeon who will make an incision across the crease line of the eyelid, where a natural fold of skin is present.
Excess fat and / or muscle along with excess skin is then removed. Intricate stitching of the incision then takes place to close the cut. Scars from healing are hidden in the natural eyelid crease or fold. If you are having surgery on the lower eyelids, whilst not very dissimilar to the upper eyelid procedure, there are some differences. An incision is made in one of two ways – either just inside of the eyelid, or below the lower eye lashes.
Excess fat is then removed from under the eye – also known as eye bags. Unlike upper eyelid surgery, lower eyelid surgery does not always involve removing excess skin as it is the fat within the eye-bag that causes the issue.In addition, sometimes the muscles and tendons of the eyelid will require some support following removal of excess fat.
Suture strips are used to give support to your eyelid post-surgery. Suture strips, or steri-Strips or a wound closure strip are designed to pull the skin on each side of the eyelid incision to minimise scarring. Surgery for eyelids generally takes around one to two hours. Patients are usually not required to stay in hospital overnight and can return home the same day as the procedure.
Following eyelid surgery, whether on the upper or lower eyelids will require time off work. Your consultant will be able to advise how much time you need based on your individual circumstances. However, most patients take around 1 week off work to aid recovery. Depending on your job, or how comfortable you feel, you may decide to have more than one week off.
The biggest implication of eyelid surgery is not being able to drive for approximately 3-5 days following your operation. This means that you should be able to return to fairly normal business after this period. However, it is strongly advised to avoid any activity that may be strenuous, such as heavy lifting, gym or swimming. In addition, you should avoid smoking and do not wear contact lenses during immediate recovery.
Patients should expect to experience redness and bruising around the eyes for 2-3 weeks post surgery. Scars may be more noticeable in the early days of recovery but will fade as time passes. If possible, you will be advised not to rub your eyes or to keep any rubbing to a minimum.
Aftercare
When you arrange a consultation with one of our experts, you will be given a full recovery and aftercare plan that is tailored to your individual needs and circumstances. Aftercare varies from patient to patient depending on the surgery you are having, your age and face shape. However, there are general aftercare procedures that you will be advised to following, such as:
– Gentle cleaning of your eyelids on a regular basis. This is done with eye drops or ointment that will be supplied to you.The Mayfair Medical started life in 2005 when our founding surgeons began their practice privately in North West of England & Greater London Region.