Blepharoplasty is a common facial cosmetic procedure, most often done on older patients. Blepharoplasty is different to Ptosis/droopy eyelid surgery which is happens when the eyelid itself (and not the skin) becomes droopy.
As we age, our skin loses elasticity. This can be seen in the skin around our eyes. In some patients, the loss of elasticity leads to excess skin hanging over the upper eyelid. The lower eyelid may wrinkle and bulge. The thin membrane that holds the fat around the eye in place also weakens with age, and this fat may bulge outwards through the membrane.
This drooping of the eyelid skin can be corrected with blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery. Your surgeon will remove excess skin and sometimes fat from the upper or lower eyelid. In some cases, the surgery may be purely cosmetic. However, sometimes the excess skin hangs over the lid margin to the point that it impacts the patient’s visual field. In this instance, the surgery is labelled as functional.
Your ophthalmologist will assess your unique situation and will advise you on the best way to deal with the loss of elasticity in your eyelids. As with all surgeries, there are some risk factors. There may also be a relatively high cost as this surgery may be deemed ‘cosmetic’ by medical aids.
While improvements can be made, final results of blepharoplasty can’t be guaranteed.
Are you a good candidate for blepharoplasty?
While eyelid surgery can help boost your self-confidence by improving your appearance, the results can’t be guaranteed. The surgery won’t change your overall facial structure, so your motivation for having the surgery should be clearly discussed with your surgeon.
The best candidate for blepharoplasty is a person who is in relatively good health, and who has realistic expectations. Sometimes drooping eyelids are hereditary, and patients opt to have blepharoplasty surgery earlier in life.
Blepharoplasty – What happens during eyelid surgery?
Blepharoplasty is commonly done under conscious sedation, and the procedure lasts between one and two hours. The patient is usually discharged on the same day. The wounds should be kept dry until the sutures are removed a week after the procedure. Patients should avoid swimming, strenuous exercise, and smoking.
Patients may be required to stop blood thinning medication including Aspirin and Warfarin shortly before the surgery. The eyelids are extremely vascular and there may be more bleeding during the procedure if the blood is thinner.
Is blepharoplasty painful?
While there isn’t a lot of pain associated with blepharoplasty, the eyelid tissue is very vascular, and bruising will be visible for up to a month after surgery. Your doctor will advise the use of ice packs at home in the two days following surgery to help reduce bruising and swelling.
What are the side effects of blepharoplasty?
After surgery, patients may experience the following symptoms that decrease over time:
- Puffy, numb eyelids that are difficult to close at night
- Sensitive, watery eyes
- Bruising
- Pink scars – these will fade with time
