Menu Close Menu

Blepharoplasty


With age skin looses elasticity and develops excess upper and lower eyelid skin folds or bags . During early adulthood in some individuals there is a tendency of these eyebags developing. These bags give a tired look with early morning swelling.

Blepharoplasty is a procedure to remove the surplus skin and protruding fat and sometimes just the fat. This give the eyes with the face a more youthful rejuvenated appearance and reduces the morning swelling or bagginess of the eyelids.. This operation can be usefully combined with a facelift and chemical peel procedure to give a harmonious appearance to the face.

Anaesthesia: General anaesthetic or local anaesthetic (if only upper eyelids). Procedure usually takes 1 to 2 hours
Inpatient stay: 1 day
Follow up: 1 week, 2 months, 6 months, 1 year
Risks: swelling, bruising, asymmetry
Time off work: 1-2 weeks

Procedure

The procedure is done under local anaesthetic for just upper blepharoplasty. However general anaesthesia is used if you undergo an upper and lower blepharoplasty. The duration of operation will vary between one to 2 hours depending on the mix of procedures you undergo The procedure for the upper eyelid is done using an incision which typically runs along a skin crease, and get masked when healed. The operation of the lower eyelid is done through an incision which is just below the lash line. Excess skin and obvious bulging fat is removed before closing the wound.

At the end there is a paper tape dressing on the upper eyelid. You will feel bruised and swollen after the operation and this settles in due course. We advice on using cold packs for the first few hours as this helps to reduce swelling. The hospital stay is conventionally overnight, but depends on your recovery.

Recovery

Cold compresses and head elevation on 2 pillows will help reduce the post surgery swelling remarkably. Simple pain killers like paracetamol are often adequate, You will need to attend the dressing clinic in one weeks time. . The bruising typically takes 2-3 weeks to disappear. You will be seen again in 2 months time. Most patients get back to work and driving in 2-3 weeks time.

Complications

Overall results are excellent but there are some well known limitations & risks which you should be aware about. Bruising and swelling are common and take about 2-3 weeks to settle. Infection and scars are risks of any procedure. Scars usually settle down well which are pink for a couple of months but eventually become almost invisible.

Eyelid surgery does not treat the droopy forehead which may require a browlift procedure. Under correction or over correction of the eyelids can also rarely occur and may necessitate a small additional procedure. The eyes and face are rarely symmetrical on both sides. It is common to notice some difference in the symmetry of both eyes especially on the sides.