Blepharoplasty
The way an eyelid correction or blepharoplasty is performed differs from person to person and depends on the amount of fatty tissue and skin that needs to be removed. Corrections of the upper and lower eyelid should also be seen as two different procedures.
The surgery
Blepharoplasty: the upper eyelid
A correction of the upper eyelid specifically involves the removal of skin. This type of blepharoplasty takes an average of one hour and is usually done under local anaesthesia.
The incision is made in the crease of the eyelid, so the scar will not be visible. A strip of skin (and sometimes also a piece of the orbicular muscle of the eye) is taken out. Sometimes fatty tissue at the interior corner of the eye, next to the nose, will also be removed.
Blepharoplasty: the lower eyelid
When treating the lower eyelids the so-called bags under the eyes are the biggest challenge. So we need to resort to other methods: removal of fatty tissue and Hamra’s technique. You can decide which method is best for you together with your plastic surgeon.
The first possibility involves removing fatty tissue in which case the surgeon needs to determine whether the bags under the eyes are indeed caused by excess fatty tissue and not by fluid accumulation. Seeing that fatty tissue is constant, it can easily be removed. An oedema, on the other hand, is not constant and can change from hour to hour.
In the event of excess fatty tissue causing the bags under the eyes, removal will be done by means of an incision just below the eyelashes. Often a bit of skin is removed as well in order to avoid the effect of “empty bags” under the eyes. With this type of blepharoplasty, the orbicular muscle around the eye can easily be tightened. This form of blepharoplasty takes about an hour and is usually performed under local anaesthesia.
Hamra’s technique does not involve removal of fatty tissue as it could lead to what we call “hollow eye syndrome”. This procedure involves fatty tissue from the eye bags being spread to the space between the eye and the nose.
Hamra’s technique can improve black circles, an indicator of a lack of fatty tissue. The deep skin crease under the eyes contains little fat. Hamra’s technique is ideal for solving this problem by moving fatty tissue to the desired area.
Post operative care
You should normally be able to go home immediately after the procedure. The first few days you will need to apply cold compresses on and around the eyes regularly, but try to avoid contact between the eyes and ice. Compresses will counter the swelling and help heal possible extravasations. We also recommend you to wear sunglasses during the first week after the eye lifting as they protect your eyelids against the light and hide possible extravasations.
The fine stitches will be removed about four to seven days after the eyelid correction. The skin of the eyelid is thin and heals very quickly. After a few months the scar will barely be noticeable. The scar of the upper eyelid coincides with a natural crease and the scar of the lower eyelid lies just below the eyelashes.
Most people go back to work one week after the procedure. One day after the lifting of the upper eyelid you can wear your contacts again, but if your lower eyelid has been corrected you will need to wait about a week. Heavy exertions should be avoided during two to three weeks after the surgery. We also recommend you to sleep with your head tilted in a 30 degrees angle during the first couple of days.