Whether you’ve lost your peripheral vision or need an eye lift, eyelid surgery can help you accomplish your vision and appearance objectives exceptionally. All you need to do is pass the necessary medical examination and choose a certified and experienced surgeon.
So, what should you expect during eyelid surgery?
Let’s find out.
The Eyelid Surgery Procedure
What is eyelid surgery, and how is it performed? If it’s your first time encountering this term, you may wonder whether it suits you.
Also known as blepharoplasty or eye lift, eyelid surgery is a cosmetic procedure that enhances your upper and/or lower eyelids. This procedure involves removing excess skin, muscles, or displaced fatty tissue in the area of your choice.
With age, your eyelids overstretch, and your muscles weaken. Consequently, excess skin and fat accumulate in the lower or upper eyelid, causing sagging and drooping. Sometimes, this affects your peripheral vision, causing visual problems. Fortunately, you can reclaim your beautiful eyes and vision thanks to eyelid surgery.
During the surgery, the surgeon administers anesthesia, then proceeds to perform the surgery, depending on your preferences.
Upper Eyelid Surgery
If you choose to have upper eyelid surgery, the doctor will make an incision in the crease of your top eyelid. Then they will separate the skin to remove excess muscle tissue or fat. Finally, they will re-drape your skin back in place to remove any extra skin and close up the incision.
Lower Eyelid Surgery
During lower eyelid surgery, the doctor will make an incision at the bottom of the lower lash line next to the contours. They will then remove excess fat and tighten weak muscles. And finally, close up the incision.
Don’t feel limited to only one of these procedures, as you can get a complete makeover for your eyelids.
How Will Eyelid Surgery Help You?
Elastin keeps your skin tight; however, with age, skin elasticity decreases and starts to sag or droop. This can be aesthetically undesirable or obstruct your vision. Whether you want to enhance your facial appearance or resolve peripheral vision issues, your eyelid surgeon can help you regain your beautiful eyes and vision.
Here are some of the conditions that eyelid surgery can treat:
- Bags under your eyes
- Fatty deposits that look like puffiness
- Excess skin or wrinkles on your eyelid
- Sagging or drooping skin that interferes with your normal eyelid contour
- Peripheral vision problems caused by sagging or drooping eyelids
- Drooping lower eyelid that exposes the white in your iris
If you are experiencing any of these issues, don’t hesitate to consult the right surgeon for examination and advice on the most suitable eyelid surgery.
Eyelid Surgery Aftercare Practices
After eyelid surgery, the physician will transfer you to the recovery room for observation. Observation time varies depending on the patient’s response. For some, it takes half a day, while others have to stay overnight.
Post-operative effects include swelling and bruising, which start resolving after 48 to 72 hours. You may also experience blurriness and tightness in the incision area. How can you hasten the recovery period?
- Planning to go out for a walk or work? Use dark sunglasses to protect your eyes from exposure to the sun and other agents like wind or dust.
- Elevating your head can also help in providing comfort to your eyes. To achieve this, use extra pillows for adequate support.
- Are you experiencing itchiness, eye dryness, or discomfort? You can use artificial tears and over-the-counter medication to ease the pain.
- Strenuous physical activity increases the risk of sustaining injuries which may lengthen your recovery time. That’s why you should avoid intense exercise and demanding chores until your physician clears you.
- If the swelling and discomfort do not go away naturally, use cold compresses to get rid of the pain and puffiness.
And suppose you experience any unusual post-operative developments, don’t hesitate to consult your surgeon for medically proven solutions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Undergoing blepharoplasty demands preparation and health prerequisites. First, identify why you want the surgery and have realistic expectations. Then ensure you pass all the medical examinations for eye conditions and be generally healthy.
Aging is a leading cause of eyelid surgery. However, cosmetic surgeries also receive patients below 35 years old. So, do not feel limited by age if you need an eyelift.
The cost of a blepharoplasty varies, depending on the plastic surgery clinic you visit. Your doctor may also have different charges for an upper eyelid surgery and a lower eyelid surgery. Now, if you decide to combine the two, this means the price can only go up!
But does this mean you should give up on reclaiming your beautiful eye or vision? No, because there are certified plastic surgeons with great eyelid surgery costs for you to enhance your appearance.
Now that you have a firm eyelid and improved peripheral vision, you may wonder whether it will last a lifetime. The permanence of blepharoplasty results varies, depending on your lifestyle and factors like aging.
Combining this procedure with lifestyle practices such as not smoking and refraining from sun exposure can prolong the results in some individuals. However, in some, aging leads to loosened skin and drooping again, which can be inhibited through a brow lift.
Eyelid surgery puts you at risk, just like any other surgical procedure. Some complications you may develop during the procedure include the inability to fully close your eyes, eye dryness, nerve damage, asymmetry, infection, bleeding, and vision loss.
The good thing is that you can minimize these complications by choosing a certified plastic surgeon with vast experience in the field. Why? Because they understand all the measures and required steps for successful surgical procedures. And suppose there’s a new development during surgery; they will know how to resolve it medically, keeping you safe
