Everything You Need To Know About Eyelid Surgery

Everything You Need To Know About Eyelid Surgery

Blepharoplasty is a cosmetic surgery in which the doctor removes excess skin from the eyelids to help you get youth and beauty eye. As we age, the eyelid skin stretches, and the muscles that support the eyelids get weaker. Thus, you will have excessive skin and fat gathered above and below your eyelids. This causes droopy upper lids, bags under the eyes, and sagging eyebrows.

Aging Aside, severely sagging skin around the eyes might reduce your peripheral vision, especially the upper and outer parts of the visual field. Blepharoplasty can help you to get rid of these problems. This procedure also makes your eyes younger and more alert.

In this article, we talk about the blepharoplasty procedure and its benefits and risks, so if you want to know more about this, stay with us!

What eyelid surgery can treat?

Blepharoplasty treats problems such as Loose or sagging skin around the eyes that folds and disturbs the contour of the upper eyelid, also Fat that gathers as puffiness in the eyelids, under eyes Bags, Drooping lower eyelids, and Excess skin and wrinkles of the lower eyelid.

Who is a good candidate for eyelid surgery?

People who are looking for anti-aging treatments are the primary candidates for Eyelid surgery. Although eye-sagging skin is a part of aging, you may consider surgery if you’re bothered by said effects. Candidates might also seek out this procedure if they have significant under-eye bags or if their eyebrows are going to sag.

It is worth mentioning that blepharoplasty goes beyond cosmetic problems for some people. You might benefit from this procedure if your vision is blocked by sagging skin. Some people complain about their vision, especially when the hanging skin blocks look upwards. For reducing the risk of complications, you are a better candidate if you don’t smoke or have any chronic illnesses which affect your recovery.

Before And After Eyelid Surgery
Before And After Eyelid Surgery

How much does eyelid surgery cost?

Eyelid surgery varies and it can go up to several thousands of dollars. Besides the surgeon’s fee, you have to pay for the operating room, anesthesia, and any tests or prescriptions you need. On average, according to the most recent statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, this procedure surgeon’s fee is around $4,000 in the US. This average number is not the total price, it doesn’t include anesthesia, operating room facilities, or other expenses. A surgeon’s fee for eyelid surgery depends on the experience, the type of procedure, and the office location.

Istanbul is one of the cities that is booming with many procedures done at a much more reasonable price compared to the US. Dr. Abedini has more than two decades of experience in the field of aesthetic procedure and you can make sure you get the best result at the most reasonable cost.

Most health insurance companies don’t cover cosmetic surgery or its complications. You should carefully review your insurance policy to see if they cover eyelid surgery for eliminating the redundant skin covering the eyelashes. When you want to choose a certified plastic surgeon near you for eyelid surgery, you should remember that your comfort with the surgeon and their experience is just as important as the total cost.

What should I expect during a consultation for eyelid surgery?

During your consultation, it is recommended to discuss topics such as previous medical treatments, Current prescription medications, your goals, Medical conditions, drug allergies, and Previous surgeries. During this session, your surgeon will also take photographs, discuss your eyelid surgery options, Discuss the type of anesthesia that will be used, evaluate your general health status and any pre-existing health conditions or risk factors, Recommend a course of treatment, Discuss likely outcomes of eyelid surgery and any potential risks.

What questions should I ask my practitioner about eyelid surgery?

Your consultation session is when you ask your questions to your surgeon. In this part, we have included a checklist of questions you should ask your surgeon during your eyelid surgery consultation session. It’s completely normal to feel some anxiety, whether it’s excitement or preoperative stress. Feel free to discuss your feelings with your surgeon.

Consider this checklist when you have your eyelid surgery consultation:

  • Are they trained and certified in the field of aesthetic surgery?
  • How many years of surgery training have they had?
  • Which hospitals do you perform this procedure in?
  • Am I a good candidate for this procedure?
  • What will you expect of me to get the ideal results?
  • Do you have before-and-after photos for this procedure?
  • Where and how will you perform my procedure?
  • What results are reasonable for me?
  • What surgical technique do you recommend for me?
  • How long will my recovery be, and what would I need during my recovery?
  • What are the risks and complications of this procedure?
  • How do we handle the complications?
  • How will my eyes look over time?
  • What if I am dissatisfied with the outcome of the surgery?
Eyelid Surgery in Dr. Abedini's Office
Blepharoplasty treats problems such as Loose or sagging skin around the eyes

What are the risks of eyelid surgery?

Deciding on having surgery is personal and only you can weigh the potential benefits vs. the potential complications and risks of eyelid surgery for achieving your goal. Your surgeon should ask you to sign consent forms so you can make sure that you understand the procedure, risks, and complications of it. The risks and complications should be discussed before signing the consent forms. So it is very important that you address all of your concerns directly to your surgeon.

Possible Blepharoplasty risks include: Swelling and bruising, Anesthesia risks, bleeding from the incision lines, Difficulty closing your eyes, Dryness to the eyes, Infection Lid lag, a pulling down of the lower eyelid, Changes in skin sensation or numbness of the eyelashes, Ectropion (outward rolling of the lower eyelid), persisting Pain, Sensitivity to the sun or other bright light, Possible need for revision surgery.

How should I prepare for eyelid surgery?

For preparing for eyelid surgery, your doctor might ask you to stop smoking, avoid taking aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs since they might increase bleeding and bruising, get a medical evaluation, Take certain medications or adjust your current medications.

Blepharoplasty should be performed in an accredited surgical facility or a hospital. Make sure a friend or a family member drives you to and from surgery and stays with you for the first-night post-surgery.

What are the steps of an eyelid surgery procedure?

Generally talking, an eyelid surgery procedure usually includes these parts:

Anesthesia

For your comfort, your doctor administers a numbing agent at the beginning of your procedure. Your options are intravenous sedation or general anesthesia. You can trust your doctor to choose the best option for you.

Incision

The incision lines for eyelid surgery are designed in a way that the natural structures of the eyelid hide the scars remaining from the procedure. The upper eyelid is corrected by a cut within the eyelid crease. This cut allows your doctor to remove fat deposits and excess skin.

The lower eyelid is corrected by an incision below the lash line. By this incision, your doctor can remove the excess skin in the lower eyelid. Your doctor can also remove or reposition the excess fat through this incision. There is an alternative technique for incision, correcting the lower eyelid, called “trans-conjunctival incision” which is done on the inside of the lower eyelid and removes or redistributes the excess fat. As you have guessed, there is no skin removal in this technique.

Your doctor usually closes the incisions with sutures or skin glue. If your incisions are closed by sutures, you can remove them within one week. They might also recommend a laser or chemical peel in order to reduce lower eyelid discoloration.

During Eyelid Surgery
During Eyelid Surgery

See the results

As swelling and bruising subside, you can gradually see the results of eyelid surgery. The ideal result is a smooth eyelid and a rejuvenated appearance. You can get more information about Dr. Abedini’s eyelid surgery results in your consultation.

What should I expect during my eyelid surgery recovery?

During your eyelid surgery recovery, you should apply certain lubricants and cold compresses. In some cases, your doctor’s eyes might loosely cover the eyelid with gauze after the procedure is done. Your doctor will also give you specific instructions. These instructions usually include how to take care of your eyes, what medications to use for healing and reducing the chance of infection, specific concerns for the treatment site or your general health, and scheduling the follow-up session. Don’t forget that you should always apply sunscreen and use sunglasses until you are fully recovered.

During your recovery, you might experience swelling, bruising, irritation, dry eyes, and discomfort but you can control these effects with medication, cold compresses, and lubricant. We recommend you ask specific questions about your recovery time. These questions may include:

  • Where am I going after my procedure?
  • What medication should I take after the procedure?
  • Would I have a bandage on my eye after the procedure? If so, when can I remove them?
  • When can I remove my stitches?
  • When can I go back to my normal life?
  • When is my follow-up going to be?

What results should I expect after eyelid surgery?

The good news is that the results of the Blepharoplasty are long-lasting. Although there is a little pain involve in this procedure, its swelling or bruising is going away soon. You can count on seeing the new look after ten to fourteen days. However, it might take a couple of months before you are completely healed.

Eyelid surgery is usually known as an anti-aging procedure and you can also expect this procedure to correct some problems permanently, but naturally, you still age. Constant use of sunscreen will help you to longer maintain the results of your treatment. In some cases where optimal results may not be achieved by one surgical procedure, there is always the possibility of another surgery.

You should follow the instructions since it is very essential to the success of your procedure. You should also have in mind that you should not have excessive force, abrasion, or motion on the incisions throughout the time of recovery.

After surgery, you might have some temporary symptoms such as Swelling and bruising like black eyes, Pain or discomfort, Puffy eyelids, blurry vision, Light sensitivity, Double vision, Watering eyes, and numb eyelids.

There are general Dos and Don’ts for a faster recovery that you might want to consider (unless your doctor suggests otherwise):

Do:

  • The night after the surgery put ice packs on your eyes every hour, for 10 minutes.
  • Use the eye drops or lubricants your doctor prescribed.
  • For a few days, try sleeping with your head higher than your body.
  • For reducing swelling, use cool compresses.
  • For protecting your eyelids from the sun and wind, wear sunglasses for a while
  • Use acetaminophen for managing the pain.

Don’t:

  • Avoid vigorous exercise for a week
  • Do not Smoke
  • Do not rub your eyes
  • Do not wear contact lenses (at least two weeks)
  • Do not take aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, naproxen (Naprosyn), and any other drugs that can increase bleeding.

Conclusion

In this article, we talked about eyelid surgery or Blepharoplasty and explained how your doctor can get you get youth and beauty eye. We also talked about different aspects such as precautions, procedure, and aftercare of Blepharoplasty, so if you consider yourself a good candidate for this treatment and you are looking for an experienced practitioner, we recommend Dr. Abedini’s Center!