This is a wonderful operation that can have a significant impact on your appearance with very little downtime or discomfort during your recovery. This makes it one of the most rewarding operations we do. On the face of it, it appears like simple surgery. However careful planning and precise execution is essential in order to avoid the very common problems seen with this type of surgery. Considering your unique anatomical shape will insure against avoiding the "rounded eye" or "pulled down look" (ectropion) of the lower eyelid or the hollowed out look so commonly seen with the upper eyelids. A keen "aesthetic eye" and careful exam will recognize potential problems in order to avoid them. This is imperative in eyelid surgery.
"Hooding" be gone.
The hallmark of aging in the upper eyelid is excess skin and heaviness that comes over the fold of the eyelid and eventually rests on the eyelashes. This gives the impression of a tired, small appearing eye. Patients tell us it makes application of make-up in the upper lid almost impossible. The purpose of the surgery is to remove this excess skin and to create a crisp fold without hollowing out the lid or changing the natural shape of the eye. Careful measurements are taken to insure that the fold is in the optimal aesthetic position.
Bags.
Aging of the lower eyelids often shows up like sacks or bags bulging under the eye. These bags are caused by a weakening of a thin membrane in the eyelid which allows fat to push out like a pot belly. This gives a tired appearance and can cast a shadow giving a dark circle to the lower eye. The appearance of your eye can change frequently with allergies, lack of sleep or fluid status and they are an annoying barometer of your emotional state! Whether or not there is excess skin, there can be a thinning or crepey appearance along with wrinkling.
How we do it differently.
In the traditional blepharoplasty an incision is made through the skin and the fat is removed by going through the middle of the eyelid. The natural healing process of the surgery performed this way causes scarring and contracture leading to shortening of the height of the lid....now on top of this shortening of the lid, surgeons try to improve the texture of the skin by pulling the skin and removing it. The result of these two steps all too often leads to an unsightly rounding of the outer part of the eye or a troublesome "downturn" of the lower lid. We avoid these problems by not going through the middle of the eyelid. The fat is removed by going behind the eyelid (trans-conjuctival approach) and the texture is improved by performing a special chemical peel designed for the eye. If there is true excess skin (which is rare), the appropriate amount is removed without disturbing the middle of the eyelid. Our approach respects the normal anatomy of the eyelid.
Your comfort is important to us.
Remarkable as it may seem, this procedure can be done under local anesthesia or with mild sedation. There may be a little bruising and swelling but there is very little discomfort with this operation. Of all of the procedures we perform, the eyelid surgery has the easiest, most uneventful recovery.
