Eyelid Surgery
The Eyes Have It! They are our windows to the world and the windows to the way we are perceived. When people say “you look tired” they are responding to the appearance of your eyes. This is one of the most frequent cosmetic procedures for both men and women.
Blepharoplasty, or “eye lift,” can improve the appearance of the upper eyelids, lower eyelids or both. It gives a rejuvenated appearance to the surrounding area of your eyes making you look more rested and alert.
This aging appearance of the eyes often occurs early (in the 20’s or 30’s) so don’t think you need to be old to consider blepharoplasties. The extra skin of upper and lower lids and the bags under the eyes are often related to heredity as much as aging.
Blepharoplasty can treat the following conditions:
- Puffiness of the upper eyelids caused by excess fatty deposits
- Loose or sagging skin that creates folds or disturbs the natural contour of the upper eyelid
- Bags under the eyes
- Excess skin and fine wrinkles of the upper and lower eyelids
Although very often done alone in the younger age groups, blepharoplasty is the most common procedure to be combined with a facelift. It is not uncommon to do just upper eyelids or just the lowers.
The Procedure:
The incision lines for eyelid surgery are designed for scars to be well-concealed within the structures of the eye. Droopy conditions of the upper eyelid can be corrected through an incision within the natural crease of the upper eyelid allowing removal of fat deposits and removal of excess skin. Conditions of the lower eyelid may be corrected with an incision just below the lower lash line. Through this incision, excess skin can be removed from the lower eyelids and fat pads may be removed. Eyelid incisions are typically closed with removable sutures, one per lid.
The procedure can be performed with sedation or general anesthesia.
Expected Side Effects:
- Pain – more annoying than painful
- Bruising
- Swelling
Risks:
- Unfavorable scarring – very rare
- Dry eyes – generally temporary
- Lid lag, a pulling down of the lower eyelid that is usually temporary
- Possible need for revisional surgery
- Loss of eyesight – extremely rare
- Infection
- Blood clots in the legs leading to clots in the lungs
- Death related to anesthesia
Learn More About the Procedure
Click below to learn what to do before and after the procedure.
At this visit, we will: Take your payment and answer any questions you may have regarding the procedure. At this time, Dr. Frost may not be available, but if you would like to speak with him again, please let us know and we will schedule this visit when he is available. Provide you with any prescriptions that you may need for after surgery. We encourage you to have these prescriptions filled prior to your surgery to avoid having to stop at the pharmacy after your procedure. Please let us know if you have any specific pain medication requests, and we will try to prescribe the medication that works best for you. Make arrangements for any necessary pre-operative evaluations that need to be performed, such as blood tests, pregnancy testing, EKG, etc.
Diet and Medications:
Please, DO NOT eat or drink ANYTHING after midnight prior to your surgery. This is VERY important. Your surgery will be CANCELLED if you eat or drink anything after midnight. The only exception is a sip of water with any medications that you must take. Generally, you should take high blood pressure and heart medications. Do NOT take arthritis medications and do NOT take diabetic medications (including insulin), unless specifically instructed to do so.
Bathing and Clothing Prior to Surgery:
Please take a shower and use antibacterial soap the night before and the morning of your surgery. Wear loose fitting, comfortable clothing such as a front button shirt and loose pants since these items are easier to put on and take off after surgery.
Take it slow and easy with your diet. Start with clear liquids and simply advance as tolerated. It is normal to have some nausea from the anesthetic and pain medication, but by taking it easy, this should quickly resolve.
Activity:
Take it easy, Walking is good, bouncing is bad. A good rule of thumb is: “If it hurts, don’t do it.” You may feel like you cannot stand up straight. Feel free to walk bent-over for the first week or so. You will be able to stand straight (and proud) soon. As you start to feel stronger, you may gradually increase your activity. Do not plan to drive for 2 to 3 weeks since restricted movement may limit your response time in an emergency. Do not do any abdominal exercise for at least a month to six weeks. Actually, if we tighten the muscles enough, you may never do another sit-up again!
Pain:
There is discomfort after any surgery. The goal of pain medication is to prevent pain, so do not wait until you are really hurting to take your medication. Follow the directions on your prescription to stay ahead of the pain and experience the highest level of pain relief possible. Narcotics can cause constipation, so drink plenty of water, eat fruit and use an over-the-counter laxative, if needed.
Post-Operative Dressings and Bathing:
After your procedure is complete, lubricating ointment and cold compresses may be applied, and in some cases, your eyes may be loosely covered with gauze. There will be changes over the months following your surgery, so do not judge the results too early.
Keep you head up – literally. Elevation of the head will decrease swelling. It will help to apply cold compresses to the eyes intermittently for the next couple of days. This can be done easily with a piece of wet cloth frozen in a zip-lock bag. Put about six of these in the freezer before your surgery and rotate them between your eyes and the freezer over the next few days. You may shower and shampoo as soon as you want.
We will see you in the office two to three days after surgery to remove the sutures – just one suture per lid. Bring a scarf or wear a hoodie and sunglasses; you won’t want to be seen in public for a week or two. The bruising is usually worst at about three days and then begins to gradually improve.
Questions:
Our goal is for you to be informed. If you have a question, please call our office at 850.474.8333.