Blepharoplasty

Blepharoplasty Surgery

What is Blepharoplasty?

Blepharoplasty (BLEF-uh-roe-plas-tee) is a type of surgery that repairs droopy eyelids and may involve removing excess skin, muscle and fat. As you age, your eyelids stretch, and the muscles supporting them weaken. As a result, excess fat may gather above and below your eyelids, causing sagging eyebrows, droopy upper lids and bags under your eyes.

Besides making you look older, severely sagging skin around your eyes can reduce your side vision (peripheral vision), especially the upper and outer parts of your field of vision. Blepharoplasty can reduce or eliminate these vision problems and make your eyes appear younger and more alert.

Blepharoplasty, also known as eye lift or eyelid, is a surgery that gives your face a dynamic and younger look. Blepharoplasty reduces bagginess from lower eyelids and removes excess skin from the upper eyelids.

An eye lift will not eliminate dark circles under the eyes, crow's feet, or other facial wrinkles. It is often done along with other procedures such as laser resurfacing, filler injections, or forehead lifts.

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Read more about : Blepharoplasty surgery cost

General information about Blepharoplasty

The following table describes general information about Blepharoplasty surgery including Blepharoplasty cost in Iran, recovery time, and to name but a few.

Before Blepharoplasty Surgery

Why it's done

You might consider blepharoplasty if droopy or sagging eyelids keep your eyes from opening completely or pull down your lower eyelids. Removing excess tissue from your upper eyelids can improve your vision.

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Who Are the Best Candidates for Blepharoplasty Surgery?

Blepharoplasty may be an option if you have:

. Baggy or droopy upper eyelids

. Excess skin of the upper eyelids that interferes with your peripheral vision

. Excess skin on the lower eyelids

. Bags under your eyes

You may undergo blepharoplasty at the same time as another procedure, such as a brow lift, face-lift or skin resurfacing.

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Before your eyelid surgery, you'll undergo:

. A physical examination. Your surgeon will conduct a physical examination, which may include testing your tear production and measuring parts of your eyelids.

. A vision examination. Your eye doctor will examine your eyes and test your vision, including your peripheral vision. This is needed to support an insurance claim.

. Eyelid photography. Your eyes will be photographed from different angles. These photos help with planning the surgery, assessing its immediate and long-term effects, and supporting an insurance claim.

And you'll be asked to:

. Stop taking warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven), aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others), naproxen sodium (Aleve, others), naproxen (Naprosyn), and any other medication or herbal supplement associated with increased bleeding. Ask your doctor how long before surgery you need to stop taking these medicines. Take only medications approved by your surgeon.

. Quit smoking several weeks before your surgery. Smoking can reduce your ability to heal after surgery.

. Arrange for someone to drive you to and from surgery if you're having outpatient surgery. Plan to have someone stay with you for the first night after returning home from surgery.

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Preparation for a Blepharoplasty Procedure

You'll need to clarify with your doctor whether you'll be undergoing local or general anesthesia for your eyelid surgery.

If you have local anesthesia, you will remain awake during the procedure, but the area around your eyes will be numbed with a drug administered through a needle. Local anesthesia can be enhanced with the use of systemic sedatives given either orally or intravenously.

You may require general anesthesia if the blepharoplasty is more complicated or if you plan to undergo other cosmetic procedures at the same time.

If you need general anesthesia, you will be given an intravenous (IV) injection that will put you to sleep for the duration of the procedure, which lasts from one to two hours, depending on the complexity of the surgery and whether both upper and lower eyelids are involved.

Prior to the day of the procedure and particularly if you'll be undergoing general anesthesia, you may be asked to take steps such as these:

. If your doctor advises this, stop taking any medication that can thin your blood and prevent it from clotting normally. This includes pain relievers such as aspirin and ibuprofen. You'll need to stop these medications one to two weeks beforehand, to reduce the possibility of excess bleeding during the procedure.

. Eat only a light meal such as soup the evening before your surgery.

. Do not eat or drink anything after midnight.

. On the morning of your procedure, you should take essential medications — such as for blood pressure — with a small sip of water.

. Do not wear makeup of any kind on the day of surgery.

. Make sure someone is available to transport you home and watch after you during the first several hours after you are released following surgery.

Procedures typically are performed in a day clinic or at the doctor's office. Ordinarily you would not need an overnight hospital stay unless you plan to have several complex cosmetic procedures that day.

Blepharoplasty Surgery Risks and Side effects

It's common after eyelid surgery to temporarily have:

. Puffy, numb eyelids that are difficult to close at night

. Irritated, sensitive or watery eyes – this may last a few weeks

. Bruising that looks like a black eye

. Scars – these eventually fade to almost be invisible

Eyelid surgery can occasionally result in:

. Temporary blurred or double vision

. Your eyes looking slightly uneven (asymmetrical)

. A pool of blood collecting under the skin (haematoma) – this usually disappears on its own after a few weeks.

. Noticeable scarring

Rarely, it can result in more serious problems, including:

. Injury to eye muscles

. The lower eyelid drooping away from the eye and turning outwards (ectropion)

. The lower eyelid becoming pulled down and showing the white of the eye below the iris (eyelid retraction)

. Visual impairment – though this is extremely rare and many people find that their vision improves in the long term

Also, any type of operation carries a small risk of:

. Excessive bleeding

. Developing a blood clot in a vein

. Infection

. An allergic reaction to the anaesthetic

The surgeon should explain how likely these risks and complications are, and how they would be treated if they happen.

Occasionally, patients find the desired effect was not achieved and feel they need another operation.

During Blepharoplasty Surgery

What Happens During Eyelid Surgery?

Blepharoplasty can be performed on upper eyelids, lower eyelids — or both at the same time.

During surgery, incisions are made in the natural folds of the eyelid, in the crease of the upper eyelid and just beneath the lashes or behind the lower eyelid. This way, incisions are virtually unnoticeable after they have healed.

While you are lying down during blepharoplasty, your surgeon will make precise markings to designate where excess skin and fat pads need to be removed. Some underlying muscle also may be removed.

These tissues are removed with surgical instruments such as scalpels, surgical scissors, radio-frequency cutting devices and sometimes cutting lasers. Sutures or tissue adhesives (glue) then are carefully applied to smooth and reconfigure areas around the eyebrows and eyelids.

During the procedure, your surgeon will make judgments about how much skin, muscle and/or fat to remove, based on a preoperative evaluation of factors such as your underlying facial muscle structure, bone structure and the symmetry of your eyebrows.

Dry eye patients frequently require that less tissue be removed to avoid exposing more of the eye to the air, which can cause symptoms to worsen.

Your surgeon also may use a carbon dioxide (CO2) laser to enhance the procedure by resurfacing skin and smoothing out any remaining wrinkles in the eyelid and eyebrow area.

In cases where the eyebrows also are droopy, a procedure to elevate the eyebrows also may be appropriate. This procedure, called a brow lift, involves making incisions into the scalp and tightening the skin to lift the eyebrows.

5 Different eye shapes

These types of eyes might need some correction

1. Sleepy & Droopy Eyes

This type of eyes will make you look tired and lack of positive energy. It is likely that more than half of your iris is covered by your upper eyelid skin, and this might create a lazy and depressed look.

2. Asymmetrical Eyes

No one has the perfect asymmetry between left and right of the face. The more symmetrical your looks, the more beautiful people will see you.

3. Small Eyes

Having small eyes can hamper you from leaving a strong impression. You may also feel that after taking yourself a picture, your face looks relatively bigger because of your small eyes.

4. Sunken & Hollow Eyes

Sunken or hollow eyes make look older than you currently are. It also might make people think that you are sick and unhealthy.

5. Saggy Eyes

As you get older, having saggy skin around your eyes is inevitable. However, you can correct this before it's too late by removing multi-layered upper eyelids and creating single and defined eyelids.

4 Types of Blepharoplasty surgery

1. Lower blepharoplasty Surgery:

What is lower eyelid surgery?

A lower blepharoplasty is carried out on the lower eyelids to help correct loose, drooping skin and eye bags between the lower eyelashes and the tops of the cheeks. It can also help to correct darker, creepy skin and puffiness under the eyes.

With lower lid surgery, your surgeon will make an incision either just inside the lower lid or just below the lower lash line.

Then they will remove the loose, creepy skin and fatty tissue that is causing the lower eyelids to droop and appear heavy.

You may then have dissolvable stitches or suture strips to close the incision. If you have suture strips, these will be removed by your surgical team around a week later.

Lower eyelid surgery usually takes longer than surgery to the upper eyelid and can take up to two hours.

2. Upper blepharoplasty Surgery:

What is upper eyelid surgery?

An upper blepharoplasty is carried out on the upper eyelids to help improve the tone and tightness of the skin between the eyebrows and the upper eyelashes. It will help to minimize excess skin that can cause the upper lids to appear heavy and creased.

Your surgeon will make an incision in the skin of the upper eyelid where the skin naturally creases, to minimize scarring.

They will then remove the excess tissue that is causing the heavy eyelids (this can be fat, muscle or excess skin) before closing the incision using small stitches. These stitches are designed to dissolve or fall out over the weeks following surgery. Upper eyelid surgery usually takes around an hour.

Upper eyelid surgery is mostly performed to deal with vision disorders caused by excessive sagging of upper eyelid.

3. Laser blepharoplasty Surgery:

Laser technique is used to fix problems of sagging eyelids, under eye bags and especially wrinkles without any incision. This technique is suitable for those who doesn’t want to have an operation with incision or are not able to undergo a procedure with anesthesia.

4. Asian blepharoplasty Surgery:

Asians and people with Asian roots generally have single eyelids, so they don’t have visible folds and creases in their upper eyelids. This feature causes eyes look smaller, puffy or the face look tired. Asian eyelid surgery generally includes a small incision made in the upper eyelid from which the excess tissue containing fat and skin will be removed. With this incision, an eyelid fold is imitated. Asian eyelid surgery is designed to keep ethnic origin and glamorize the face and eye shape at the same time.

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After Blepharoplasty Surgery

Blepharoplasty Aftercare and Recovery

Your surgeon will discuss how long it will be before you can return to your normal level of activity and work. After surgery, you and your caregiver will receive detailed instructions about your post-surgery care, including information about:

. Normal symptoms you will experience

. Potential signs of complication

For the easiest recovery period, have the following items readily accessible at home:

. Ice cubes, ice pack, or freezer bags filled with ice, frozen corn, or peas (based on your surgeon’s recommendation for cold application to the eyelids)

. Small gauze pads

. Eye drops or artificial tears (ask your doctor to recommend the proper type to meet your particular needs)

. Clean washcloths and towels

. Over-the-counter painkillers, which your doctor can recommend, but avoid Advil, Motrin, Naproxen, Aleve, and aspirin due to the increased risk of bleeding

. Plan to stay home from work and limit your activities for a prescribed time after surgery to give your eyelids a chance to heal.

Immediately after eyelid surgery

. You may experience excessive tearing, light sensitivity, and double vision just after the surgery.

. Your incisions will be red and visible at first, and your eyelids may be puffy and feel numb for several days.

. Swelling and bruising, similar to having "black eyes," will likely last a week or more.

. Your surgeon will probably instruct you to apply ice packs or cold compresses to your eyes to help reduce swelling.

. Pain is usually minimal. You may be given a pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol or others) for mild discomfort, but remember to avoid aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, or others), naproxen (Aleve), and any other medications or herbal supplements that may increase bleeding.

. If stitches were used, they'll be removed after three or four days.

If you experience extreme or long-lasting pain or redness and swelling after the surgery, contact your surgeon to find out if these symptoms are normal or a sign of a problem.

Recovery time frame after eyelid surgery

It is vitally important that you follow all post-operative instructions provided by your surgeon. This will include information about bandages, taking an antibiotic if prescribed, and the level and type of activity that is safe. Your surgeon will also provide detailed instructions about the normal symptoms you will experience and any potential signs of complications. It is important to realize that the amount of time it takes for recovery varies greatly among individuals.

. The first two weeks

Although you will not have to rest in bed following surgery, you should plan to relax, stay home, and use cold compresses on your eyes on the day of surgery as well as the day after. The amount of time it takes for recovery varies. Here are some helpful guidelines:

. Follow your surgeon’s instructions for care. For the first couple of days following surgery, expect to treat the incisions with ointment to keep them lubricated and place cold compresses on the eyes to reduce swelling. You will be advised to use eye drops to keep the eyes from drying. If you have dry eyes lasting more than two weeks, contact your doctor.

. Sleep with your head raised higher than your chest. You can use regular pillows, wedge pillows, or sleep on a recliner. Minimize swelling and bruising by keeping your head elevated as much as possible during the first few days of recovery.

. After upper and lower blepharoplasty surgery your eyelids will typically feel tight. You can treat soreness with acetaminophen. Significant bruising typically occurs, but will resolve within two weeks.

. Avoid straining, heavy lifting, swimming, and strenuous activities, such as aerobics and jogging, for ten to fourteen days. Specifically, you should avoid activities in which you must move your head abruptly or that increase the blood pressure in your head. This restriction includes, but is not limited to, bending over, which causes your head to be lower than your heart, and lifting objects heavy enough to cause you to strain. This restriction may apply for three to four weeks.

. You may notice that your eyes tire easily for the first several weeks of the recovery period. Take frequent naps. Avoid activities that may dry the eyes, including reading, watching television, wearing contacts, and using a computer.

. For the first two weeks after your surgery, wear dark sunglasses to protect the eyes from irritation caused by sun and wind.

. Your plastic surgeon will remove the stitches between two and seven days after your eyelid surgery.

. You may feel well enough to resume normal activities around the tenth day of recovery.

. Seek medical attention immediately if you experience shortness of breath, chest pains, an unusual heart rate, new pain, bleeding, or visual disturbance.

Blepharoplasty Cost

Cost of blepharoplasty in Iran

Blepharoplasty cost varies, depending on the region of the country where you live, the surgeon, the surgeon's subspecialty, the facility where the surgery is performed and the extent of eyelid surgery you need.

The minimum cost of blepharoplasty in Iran is about $700 for both eyes.

The different types of blepharoplasty have various price tags as well. On average, lower eyelid surgery cost start from $700, while the price of upper eyelid surgery is usually around $ 800-1000 for both eyes.