Upper & Lower Blepharoplasty
If You’re Considering Eyelid Surgery…
Eyelid surgery (technically called blepharoplasty) is a procedure to remove fat — usually along with excess skin and muscle from the upper and lower eyelids. Eyelid surgery can correct drooping upper lids and puffy bags below your eyes — features that make you look older and more tired than you feel and may even interfere with your vision. However, it won’t remove crow’s feet or other wrinkles, eliminate dark circles under your eyes or lift sagging eyebrows. While it can add an upper eyelid crease to Asian eyes, it will not erase evidence of your ethnic or racial heritage. Blepharoplasty can be done alone or in conjunction with other facial surgery procedures, such as a facelift or a browlift.
If you’re considering eyelid surgery, this web page will give you a basic understanding of the procedure, including when it can help, how it’s performed and what results you can expect. It can’t answer all of your questions since a lot of the answers depend on you, the individual patient, and the surgeon. Please ask your surgeon about anything you don’t understand when you come in for your complimentary cosmetic consultation.
The Best Candidates for Eyelid Surgery
Blepharoplasty can enhance your appearance and your self-confidence, but it won’t necessarily change your looks to match your ideal or cause other people to treat you differently. Before you decide to have eyelid surgery or any other cosmetic surgery, think carefully about your expectations and discuss them with your surgeon.
The best candidates for eyelid surgery are men and women who are physically healthy, psychologically stable and realistic in their expectations. Most qualified candidates are 35 years old or older, but if droopy, baggy eyelids run in your family, you may decide to have eyelid surgery at a younger age.
A few medical conditions make blepharoplasty riskier for some patients. They include thyroid problems, such as hypothyroidism and Graves’ disease, dry eye or lack of sufficient tears, high blood pressure or other circulatory disorders, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. A detached retina or glaucoma is also a reason for taking extra caution when determining if eyelid surgery is right for you. If you suffer from any of these conditions, check with your ophthalmologist before you have surgery.
All Surgery Carries Some Uncertainty and Risk
When eyelid surgery is performed by a qualified plastic surgeon, complications are infrequent and usually minor. Nevertheless, there is always a possibility of complications, including infection or a reaction to the anesthesia. You can reduce your risks by closely following your surgeon’s instructions both before and after surgery.
The minor complications that occasionally follow blepharoplasty include double or blurred vision for a few days, temporary swelling at the corner of the eyelids and a slight asymmetry in healing or scarring. Tiny whiteheads may appear after your stitches are taken out; your surgeon can remove them easily with a very fine needle.
Following surgery, some patients may have difficulty closing their eyes when they sleep; in rare cases, this condition may be permanent. Another very rare complication is ectropion, which is a pulling down of the lower lids. In this case, further surgery may be required.
Planning Your Surgery
Preparing For Your Surgery
The initial consultation with your surgeon is very important. The surgeon will need your complete medical history, so check your own records ahead of time and be ready to provide this information. Be sure to inform your surgeon if you have any allergies; if you’re taking any vitamins, medications (prescription or over-the-counter) or other drugs; and if you smoke.
During your consultation, your surgeon will examine you to ensure you are a good candidate. You should also provide any relevant information from your ophthalmologist or the record of your most recent eye exam. If you wear glasses or contact lenses, be sure to bring them along.
You and your surgeon should carefully discuss your goals and expectations for this surgery. You’ll need to discuss whether to do all four eyelids or just the upper or lower ones, whether skin, as well as fat, will be removed, and whether any additional procedures are appropriate.
Don’t hesitate to ask your doctor any questions you may have, especially those regarding your expectations and concerns about the results.
Your surgeon will give you specific instructions on how to prepare for your blepharoplasty surgery, including guidelines on eating and drinking, smoking and taking or avoiding certain vitamins and medications. Carefully following these instructions will help your surgery go more smoothly.
While you’re making preparations, be sure to arrange for someone to drive you home after your surgery, and to help you out for a few days if needed.
Where Your Surgery Will Be Performed
Dr. Schutte performs all of his surgeries in our in-office surgical suite on an outpatient basis.
Types of Anesthesia
Eyelid surgery is usually performed under local anesthesia — which numbs the area around your eyes — along with oral sedatives. You’ll be awake during the surgery, but relaxed and insensitive to pain. (However, you may feel some tugging or occasional discomfort.) Some surgeons prefer to use general anesthesia. In that case, you’ll sleep through the operation.
If you have questions, concerns or you’re ready to schedule your free cosmetic consultation, contact us today!