Blepharoplasty or Eye Bag Removal

 

Blepharoplasty

Blepharoplasty is the procedure used to remove fat--usually along with excess skin and muscle from the upper and lower eyelids. Eyelift - You can Sur can correct drooping upper lids and puffy bags below your eyes - features that make you look older and more tired than you feel, and may even interfere with your vision. As people age, the eyelid skin stretches, and muscles weaken and fat accumulates around the eyes causing “bags” above and below.

However, it won't remove crow's feet or other wrinkles, eliminate dark circles under your eyes, or lift sagging eyebrows. While it can add an upper eyelid crease to Asian eyes, it will not erase evidence of your ethnic or racial heritage. Blepharoplasty can be done alone, or in conjunction with other facial surgery procedures such as a facelift or brow lift.

 

Pre Operative

You and your surgeon should carefully discuss your goals and expectations for this surgery. You'll need to discuss whether to do all four eyelids or just the upper or lower ones, whether skin as well as fat will be removed, and whether any additional procedures are appropriate. The surgeon will, according to how a patients presents, remove the excess fat of a baggy eyelid and possibly tighten the muscles, and or remove excess skin.

Your surgeon will explain the techniques he or she will use and the risks and costs involved.

 

The Procedure

Blepharoplasty usually takes one to three hours, depending on the extent of the surgery. If you're having all four eyelids done, the surgeon will probably work on the upper lids first, then the lower ones.

In a typical procedure, the surgeon makes incisions following the natural lines of your eyelids; in the creases of your upper lids, and just below the lashes in the lower lids. The incisions may extend into the crow's feet or laugh lines at the outer corners of your eyes. Working through these incisions, the surgeon then separates the skin from underlying fatty tissue and muscle, removes excess fat, and often trims sagging skin and muscle. The incisions are then closed with very fine sutures.

If you have a pocket of fat beneath your lower eyelids but don't need to have any skin removed, your surgeon may perform a transconjunctival Blepharoplasty. In this procedure the incision is made inside your lower eyelid, leaving no visible scar. It is usually performed on younger patients with thicker, more elastic skin.

 

Post Operative

After surgery, the surgeon will probably lubricate your eyes with ointment and may apply a bandage. Your eyelids may feel tight and sore as the anaesthesia wears off, but you can control any discomfort with the pain medication prescribed by your surgeon. If you feel any severe pain, call your surgeon immediately Dressing: Apply the compressive adhesive tape over the lower eyelid for 3 days then clean the sutured area twice daily with non irritating substance like saline solution and Chloramphenicol ointment.

Lying position : In the first few days it is best to lay in a high-head position to lessen the leakage of blood to the wound area.

In the first 2 days following the procedure, pain will be most intense and bruising and swelling will be maximum. This will start to subside after 3 days, 80% recovery in 3 weeks and will become normal in 2-3 months. Scar will be hidden very close to the lower eyelash.

Most people feel ready to go out in public (and back to work) in a week to 10 days. By then, depending on your rate of healing and your doctor's instructions, you'll probably be able to wear makeup to hide the bruising that remains. You may be sensitive to sunlight, wind, and other irritants for several weeks, so you should wear sunglasses and a special sun block made for eyelids when you go out. You may also be told to avoid alcohol, since it causes fluid retention. Healing is a gradual process, and your scars may remain slightly pink for six months or more after surgery. Eventually, though, they'll fade to a thin, nearly invisible white line. On the other hand, the positive results of your eyelid surgery-the more alert and youthful look-will last for years. For many people, these results are permanent

 

Risk

Risks are inherent to any surgical procedure. The most common risks are swelling, bruising, bleeding, infection, fluid, scarring. Ectropion or the eversion of the lower eyelid rim may happen in some cases that have very weak eyelid and have no lateral canthoplasty done together with lower blepharoplasty. Most of the cases will subside in 3 weeks. You can reduce your risks by closely following your surgeon's instructions both before and after surgery.

 

Surgery

Duration of Operation: 2 to 3 hours
Anesthesia: Local anesthesia
Hospital Admission: Out Patient procedure. No admission necessary