There is an old expression that the eyes are the windows to the soul. Well, they may or may not be the window to the soul but they certainly do reveal much about how San Francisco patients feel. Excessive fat and skin in the upper and lower eyes may make you look old, tired, sad or even angry. This problem is corrected by an eyelid lift or blepharoplasty, one of the most commonly performed operations that plastic surgeons perform today.*
What is blepharoplasty?
Blepharoplasty surgery is commonly combined with other procedures such as a facelift, forehead lift or BOTOX® to rejuvenate the entire face. Today’s eyelid lift procedures are designed to correct the problems of excessive skin and fat to give the eyes a younger, more rested look.* The upper lid blepharoplasty utilizes an incision in the natural crease on the upper eyelid to reduce excessive skin and fat. This incision begins in the natural upper eyelid crease and extends slightly beyond the outside edge of the eye into the laugh lines or crow’s feet so that the incision line is nearly invisible.* Lower eyelid blepharoplasty reduces excess skin and addresses the puffy or bulging fat under the eyes. The incision is hidden as it is made just beneath the lash line making it virtually undetectable.* Excessive fat may be reduced from the lower eyelid or may be repositioned over the cheek to fill in the depression beneath the eye (“tear troughs”). Any excessive skin is then removed and the wounds are sutured with extremely fine sutures. If no excessive skin is present the fat may be reduced though an incision on the inner surface of the lower eyelid.
What is the recovery process like for eyelid surgery?
The eyelid lift procedure is done as an outpatient surgery and may be performed under general anesthesia or I.V. sedation. Surgery takes 1-2 hours with patients returning home the same day.* Ice compresses and head elevation immediately after blepharoplasty surgery help to reduce postoperative swelling and bruising. Eyelid sutures are removed on the 4-5-post operative day and most swelling is gone after one week.* Bruising may last for up to two weeks but is easily hidden with makeup after the first week.* Most San Francisco patients return to work by the end of the first week after surgery, although some patients may take up to two weeks.* Dramatic results from an eyelid lift will be apparent after the first two weeks however the results will continue to improve over six months as the scars mature.*
To learn more about eyelid lift surgery please contact the office of Dr. Jonathan Kaplan in San Francisco at (415) 923-3005 today.
