What Is Eyelid Surgery?

Eyelid surgery or Blepharoplasty is a type of plastic surgery involving the correction of any defects, deformities, and disfigurations of the eyelids and in cosmetics, modifying the eyelids to make it look more aesthetically appealing by removing any excess skin, muscle, or fat.

Why Is It Done?

As a person ages, his eyelids may stretch as the muscles weaken and fat might accumulate above or below the eyelids, resulting in sagging or drooping. This not only makes one look older but also affects his vision. A person might be suffering from cancer around the eyelids or other illnesses which can cause deformities or defects in this region. Many war victims and survivors are permanently scarred in around the eyes and the resulting psychological impact can be traumatizing. In any of these cases, an eyelid surgery is performed to solve the problem, help the patient regain his self esteem, and lead a normal life.

It can also be performed for cosmetic purposes to make the eyes look younger and more alert, reducing the wrinkles and improving the shape, making it particularly popular among East Asians.

The Procedure

A routine procedure is performed by making an external surgical incision, by the use of a scalpel or a laser, along the skin lines of the upper and the lower eyelids. In patients with a darker skin tone, excess eyelid skin is often not removed to ensure white scars do not appear. Afterwards the surgeon carefully cuts and removes excess skin, muscle, and fat and then finally finishes by closing the cut. In surgeries involving the lower eyelids, a transconjunctival approach is used, making the incisions directly below the lash line or on the inside of the eyelid. The technique is also perfect for those patients that want extra fat removed or added to their eyelids.

After the operation, a special stitch known as a canthopexy is placed near the outer corner of the lower eyelid, allowing the eyelid’s position to remain fixed while it heals and the stitch dissolves completely in 4 to 5 weeks.

The duration of the whole operation on average is 2 to 3 hours long. The swelling and bruising resulting from the surgery can be expected to last for up to 2 weeks but the time period can be greatly reduced with the use of cool compresses within the first 48 hours; the final result of the surgery however does not become apparent until many months later. The healing process can be quickened by taking active part in light activities like walking and cycling and luckily you need not to compromise on your routine, or worry about the effectiveness of the surgery.

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