Eyelid Surgery

Cosmetic eyelid surgery, called blepharoplasty, is a surgical procedure to improve the appearance of the upper eyelids, lower eyelids, or both, restoring firmness to the area surrounding the eyes and making you look more rested and alert.

Specifically, eyelid surgery can treat:

·   Loose or sagging skin that creates folds or hides the natural contour of the upper eyelid

·   Excess skin that hangs down from the upper eyelid, sometimes impairing vision

·   Excess fatty deposits that appear as puffiness in the upper eyelids

·   Bags under the eyes

·   Droopiness of the lower eyelids, showing white below the iris

·   Excess skin and fine wrinkles of the lower eyelid

Procedural steps: An incision within the natural crease of the upper eyelid allows access to remove excess skin, muscle and underlying fatty tissue. Using an incision inside the lower eyelid, fat is removed or redistributed and muscle modified to correct a baggy lower eyelid.

An incision just below the lower lash line allows excess skin to be removed. Laser resurfacing may be used to smooth lower lid skin.

Your results: Bruising should subside in 5-10 days and swelling should subside in 2-4 weeks. Final results may appear in 1-2 months. Incision lines will continue to refine and fade for 1 year.

Is it right for me?

Eyelid surgery is usually performed on adult men and women who have healthy facial tissue and muscles and have realistic goals for improvement of the upper and/or lower eyelids and surrounding area.

You should do it for yourself, not to fulfill someone else’s desires or to try to fit any sort of ideal image. Good candidates are:

·   Healthy individuals who do not have a life-threatening illness or medical conditions that can impair healing

·   Non-smokers

·   Individuals with a positive outlook and specific goals in mind for blepharoplasty

·   Individuals without serious eye conditions

You must tell your doctor if you have any of these medical conditions:

·   Eye disease such as glaucoma, dry eye or a detached retina

·   Thyroid disorders such as Graves’ disease and under or overactive thyroid

·   Cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure or other circulatory disorders or diabetes

Dr. Feldman may also:

·   Evaluate your general health status and any pre-existing health conditions or risk factors

·   Take photographs for your medical record

·   Discuss your options and recommend a course of treatment

·   Discuss likely outcomes of eyelid surgery and any risks or potential complications

·   Discuss the type of anesthesia that will be used