Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)
What Can Eyelid Surgery Do For You?
The focal point of our faces is our eyes. The expression and appearance of our eyes convey our thoughts and emotions. Wrinkles around the eyelids, drooping upper lids, excess skin on the lower lids, and bags under the eyes are taken as signs of aging, stress, and fatigue.
Eyelid Surgery Photos
These eyelid surgery photos were taken of patients in San Diego who received eyelid surgery at Changes Plastic Surgery. Please visit our complete photo gallery of eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) performed by Dr. Lee in San Diego.
33 year old woman complains of baggy eyes. Four lid blepharoplasty performed with lower lid fat redistribution. Photo taken 10 months post op
BEFORE
AFTER
Determining Your Candidacy for Eyelid Surgery
The best candidates for eyelid surgery are men and women who are physically healthy, and have realistic expectations. Most patients wanting a blepharoplasty are 35 or older. Age is not a deciding factor, however. Many patients have these conditions at a young age because the condition is genetic, rather than induced by aging.
A few medical conditions make a blepharoplasty more risky. These 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.
Potential Risks
When eyelid surgery is performed by a qualified plastic surgeon, complications are infrequent and usually minor. The Changes surgeons are board-certified plastic surgeons. The procedures are performed either in our San Diego office or in a state licensed and Medicare certified surgical center. These credentials help ensure the highest standards of care and your utmost safety.
Nevertheless, there are possible 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.
Additional minor complications that occasionally follow a blepharoplasty can 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.
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, a pulling down of the lower lids. In this case, further surgery may be required.
Facility Options
A blepharoplasty is generally done in our San Diego office under a local anesthetic. It can also be performed on an outpatient basis in a surgical center.
Anesthesia Options
Eyelid surgery is usually performed under local anesthesia, which numbs the area around your eyes, along with oral or intravenous sedatives. You'll be awake during the surgery, but relaxed and comfortable. Some patients prefer to be asleep during the procedure. If this is the case, you and your surgeon may decide to use general anesthesia.
Procedure Description
Blepharoplasty usually takes one or two hours, depending on the extent of the surgery. If you're having your upper and lower eyelids done, the surgeon will probably work on the upper lids first, then the lower ones. In a typical procedure, the surgeon makes incisions in the natural lid creases of your upper lids, and just below the lashes in the lower lids. The incisions may extend into the crow's feet or laugh lines at the outer corners of your eyes. Working through these incisions, your surgeon will remove excess fat, and trim any sagging skin and muscle. The incisions are then closed with very fine sutures.
If you have a pocket of fat beneath your lower eyelids but don't need to have any skin removed, your surgeon may perform a Transconjunctival Blepharoplasty. In this procedure, the incision is made inside your lower eyelid, leaving no visible scar. It is usually performed on younger patients with thicker, more elastic skin.
Post-Operative Care
After surgery, your eyelids may feel tight and sore as the anesthesia wears off, but you can control any discomfort with the medication prescribed by your surgeon. If you feel any severe discomfort, call your surgeon immediately.
Your surgeon will instruct you to keep your head elevated for several days, and to use cold compresses to reduce swelling and bruising. Bruising varies from person to person. It reaches its peak during the first week, and generally lasts approximately two weeks. You'll be shown how to clean your eyes, which may be gummy for a week or so. Your surgeon may recommend eye-drops to help with dryness, burning, or itching. For the first few weeks you may also experience excessive tearing, sensitivity to light, and temporary changes in your eyesight, such as blurring or double vision.
You will be scheduled for post-operative follow-up appointments, so your plastic surgeon can follow your progress closely. The stitches will be removed five days after surgery. Once they're out, the swelling and discoloration around your eyes will gradually subside, and you'll start to look and feel much better.
Your Recovery
You should be able to read or watch television after two or three days. However, you will not be able to wear contact lenses for about two weeks, and even then they may feel uncomfortable for a while.
Most people feel ready to go out in public and back to work within ten days to two weeks. By then, depending on your rate of healing and your doctor's instructions, you'll probably be able to wear makeup to hide any remaining bruising. You may be sensitive to sunlight, wind, and other irritants for several weeks, so wear sunglasses when you go out.
Go to our eyelid surgery photo gallery.
Special Considerations for Asian Eyelid Surgery
Unique facial features help characterize each of us and our ethnic origins. Approximately 85% of Asians are born without a distinct fold in their upper eyelids. The change to a "double fold" in the Asian eyelid is considered by many to create a wider or more open eye. This then conveys more definition and expression of Asian beauty. For these reasons, the double fold eyelid procedure is the most common aesthetic procedure performed on Asian patients, both male and female.
The Asian eyelid operation differs from the blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery, performed on Caucasians. In Caucasians, a blepharoplasty is almost exclusively done to correct the effects of aging by removing excess skin and fat from the eyelids. By contrast, the double fold procedure is usually performed on younger Asian patients who desire a more defined, dramatic appearance to their eyes. The objective of the surgery is not to create a Caucasian eyelid, but to enhance the natural beauty of the native Asian eye. Another benefit of the procedure is that eye make-up is easier to apply and keep in place.
Go to our eyelid surgery photo gallery.
Asian Eyelid Revision Photos
These photos were taken of patients in San Diego who received Asian eyelid revision at Changes Plastic Surgery. Please visit our complete photo gallery of Asian Eyelid Surgery.
Asian female requests blepharoplasty and double fold procedure. Photo taken 2 months post op.
BEFORE
AFTER
Choosing a Surgeon
To correctly perform this procedure, the plastic surgeon must have a keen understanding of the differences in anatomy between Asian and Caucasian eyelids. These differences include a smaller distance between the eyelid and the eyebrow in Asians, the presence of more fat and muscle in the Asian eyelid, and a shallower eye socket in Asians. The manner in which eyelid muscles attach to the skin and eyelid also differs.
Despite the wide popularity of this procedure in Asia, most American plastic surgeons have very limited experience with this operation. For the best results, your plastic surgeon should be experienced in this procedure, in addition to knowing the anatomy of the eyelid.
We are proud to say that our plastic surgeon Dr. Lee has studied this procedure in depth in Taiwan and offers the finest most reliable techniques to our patients. We tailor each operation to the specific needs of each individual Asian patient.
Procedure Description
In your initial consultation, you and your surgeon will discuss the type of eyelid shape you desire. This procedure is usually performed under local anesthesia. First, your surgeon will mark the area of the intended fold. Then, he will remove skin, muscle, and fat from the area of the fold. Based on your aesthetic goals, your surgeon will determine the amount of skin, muscle, and fat to be removed. Lastly, the surgeon will suture the eyelid skin to the muscle that opens the lid, thus creating the double fold whenever the eyelid opens.
Post-Operative Care
Stitches are removed 4 to 5 days following the procedure. The fold is present immediately. Recovery takes approximately 10 to 14 days until the majority of the bruising is gone.
Please visit our complete photo gallery of Asian Eyelid Surgery.
Correction of previous Blepharoplasty by non-plastic surgeon
Eyelid surgery is a procedure to remove excess skin, muscle and fat from the upper and lower eyelids. This procedure can correct drooping upper lids and puffy bags below your eyes. Many patients combine chemical peels, BOTOX® treatments, or a browlift with a blepharoplasty to eliminate crow’s feet and sagging eyebrows. The result of this combination yields the most dramatic results and creates a rested, alert, and pleasant look.
Patient Testimonial
"Thank you so much for your wonderful surgery. You’ll never be forgotten for the thoughtfulness you’ve shown. Hopefully you will visit Beijing, China in the Future!" -Byron X