Eyelid Surgery – What to Know Before Having a Procedure

As a person ages, the skin around the eyes can start to sag which can result in an older look and the sagging skin can even have an impact on the peripheral vision of a person. Thankfully, there is a cosmetic procedure that can be performed to reverse the look of aging around the eyes and give a patient a new and rejuvenated look to the eyes. Read on to learn about eyelid surgery, AKA blepharoplasty, to learn how it reshapes the eye by getting rid of any extra skin, fat, and muscle from both the bottom and tip eyelids.

Eyelid Surgery – How It is Performed

In addition to the elimination of excess fat, skin, and muscle in the eyelids, blepharoplasty also works to restore vision that is blocked or impacted by correcting the appearance of puffy upper eyelids and removing bags that are located underneath the eyes.

During an upper eyelid surgery, the surgeon creates incisions in the natural creases of the upper eyelids in order to eliminate excess skin that is causing the vision of the patient to be blocked or droopy in appearance.

Lower eyelid surgery is when fat deposits are removed through the creation of an incision that is located beneath the lower eyelashes. The removal of the extra skin and fat reduces the amount of swelling and puffiness in the area.

The surgeon can also perform transconjunctival blepharoplasty where pockets of fat, but not any excess skin, are removed through tiny incisions in the lower eyelids.

An ideal candidate for the surgery is a person with an excess amount of skin, located on the upper eyelids, which is blocking or impacting their vision. A good candidate is someone who has upper eyelids that are puffy or a look to the eyes that is always tired. Plus, the person should be at least eighteen years of age and have realistic final results in mind. A person who is experiencing health issues such as high blood pressure, dry eye, thyroid problems, diabetes, and glaucoma need to be examined by a doctor to make sure they are healthy enough to undergo the surgery.

Anyone who wants to have the treatment needs to conduct some research before they have the procedure. An important aspect of the research is finding a doctor who has the proper experience and training in performing blepharoplasty and is also board-certified. In addition, patients need to make sure they have a friend or family member who can help them during the recovery period and that they can take the necessary amount of time off work to properly heal.

Eyelid Surgery – What are the Risks?

There are some common risks and concerns patients need to know about when it comes to having eyelid surgery. Some of the common risks include dry eyes, bleeding, swelling, an injury to the muscles of the eyes, issues with properly closing the eyes, and a less than desired change to the aesthetics or functionality of the treated area. In addition, there are more severe risks and side effects that patients should know about and they include an infection, blood clots, and a longer than normal recovery time if the patent does not properly follow the post-op instructions provided by the surgeon.

Eyelid Surgery – How Much Does It Cost?

The overall cost of eyelid surgery varies according to a number of factors. For example, the cost depends on the type of blepharoplasty that is performed by the surgeon and the area of the country where it is performed. In addition, the skill level of the surgeon plays a part in the final cost along with any additional fees that are charged by the surgeon or the medical facility where the procedure is performed. The final cost can also be impacted by whether or not the surgery is covered, in part, by health insurance and if the procedure is only lower or upper blepharoplasty or if the surgery is a combination of the two techniques.

The average cost of both lower and upper eyelid surgery is anywhere from $3500-$5500. If the surgery requires more extensive work, the cost can range from $8000-$10,000. If the patient decides to have transconjunctival blepharoplasty, the total cost will be in the range of $2500-$4000. Keep in mind that these costs can be lower if any of the procedures are covered by health insurance.

Eyelid Surgery – Rejuvenated Look for the Patient

The final results of an eyelid lift provide a refreshed and rejuvenated look to the eyelids that also give the person a more youthful and alert look. While the final results are considered to be permanent in nature and appearance, patients do need to know that the aging process can still impact the final appearance of the eyelids. In addition, the genetics of the person can impact the final look and these changes can take place around ten to fifteen years after the surgery.

- MA