Eyelid surgery is performed on men and women of all ages who want to improve their self-image. Most people have eyelid surgery to minimize the effects of aging. However, many people in their 20′s or 30′s may also benefit from the procedure. You may be a good candidate for eyelid surgery if your upper eyelids have excess skin that hides the natural fold of the lid, loose skin that hangs down from the upper lid, or puffiness that creates a tired look. Perhaps, your lower eyelids have puffy “bags”, excess skin and fine wrinkles. Eyelid surgery needs to be approached with extra caution if you have any of the following medical conditions:

• Thyroid problems, such as hypothyroidism or Graves’ disease (hyperthyroidism)
• Lower eyelids that droop significantly and reveal the white beneath the iris (the eye’s colored portion)
• Eye problems, such as “dry eye,” a detached retina or glaucoma
• High blood pressure or other circulatory disorders
• Cardiovascular disease
• Diabetes.

A personal consultation is the first step for every patient considering eyelid surgery. During this meeting, one of our board-certified plastic surgeons will assess your physical and emotional health and discuss your specific goals for surgery.

As part of the consultation, we will assess the amount of excess fat and skin in your eyelid areas, the position of your eyebrows, and the condition of the muscles around your eyelids.

Suggestions may be given for other cosmetic treatments to meet your appearance goals. For example:

A sagging brow can be tightened and smoothed with a forehead lift (limited incision, endoscopic, coronal lift).
Crow’s feet near the eyes can be minimized with laser resurfacing or Botox injections.
Dark circles beneath the eyes that can’t be helped by blepharoplasty can be treated with a bleaching medication or laser treatment.

Eyelid surgery is performed in our office based surgical suite. We use a local anesthetic with intravenous sedation (twilight sleep) for our patients undergoing eyelid surgery. Our medical team monitors your physical status throughout the operation and during your recovery. The procedure is approximately 1-2 hours in duration and then we care for you in our recovery room for at least one hour before you are discharged. Upper eyelids: Typically, the incision begins within the natural crease of the eye’s inside corner and extends slightly beyond the outside corner into the crow’s feet or laugh lines. Through this incision, excess skin and fatty tissue are removed. The incision line is camouflaged when healed. Lower eyelids usually the incision is concealed just below the lower lashes. Through this incision, excess skin and fat is removed. Your surgeon may also make special adjustments. For example, the fat beneath the eye can be redistributed to eliminate puffiness or bulges. In some patients, the underlying muscle will be tightened or fat will be removed inside the eyelid without a skin incision. Be sure to ask about Erbium laser resurfacing of lower lid wrinkles without adding time or discomfort to your recovery and about elevating the eyebrows with a Contour Thread Lift.

When the date for your procedure has been set, we will provide you with specific instructions for the days immediately before and after surgery.

Each year, thousands of people undergo cosmetic eyelid surgery and experience no major complications. However, you must fully understand the risks as well as the benefits of the procedure. One of the most important parts of your consultation is the discussion that you and one of our physicians will have about the possible complications of eyelid surgery. By carefully following our advice and instructions both before and after surgery you can do your part to minimize some of the risks.