Blepharoplasty (Upper Eyelid)

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Procedure: Improvement in upper eyelid contour with resolution of eyelid skin redundancy and upper eyelid bulge caused by droopy eyelid fat. Current upper eyelid surgery involves removal of redundant upper eyelid skin and conservative resection of fat that is droopy.

Length: Ranges between 1/2 to 1 hours.

Anesthesia: Upper eyelid surgery can be performed under local anesthetic only, oral/intravenous sedation, or general anesthesia.

Place of Treatment: Since upper eyelid surgery can be performed using local anesthesia only or with oral sedation, it is not uncommon for your surgery to be performed in an office setting.

Recovery: The recovery period for upper eyelid surgery with a return to most daily activities is around 3 to 4 days. Patients will typically return to work within 1 week following surgery.

Duration of Results: Patients who have undergone upper eyelid surgery can expect aesthetically pleasing results for life. Early revisions are rare and are typically discouraged. Patients will notice turning back of the clock of approximately 5 to 10 years following upper eyelid surgery and will notice a resuming of the natural aging process.

Side Effects: Side effects are events that may be experienced by patients as a result of your surgery and should not be considered adverse events. Our patients are counseled regarding these effects and if experienced they are tolerable and often temporary in duration.

1. Inability to close the eye is usually temporary and subsides over 1 week following surgery.
2. Redness of the incision lines may be noticeable for several weeks following surgery but redness is usually camouflaged as it falls in the naturally occurring upper eyelid crease.
3. Residual asymmetry of the upper eyelids may be present if asymmetry was pronounced preoperatively.

Risks: Risks are unwanted events that may occur during or following surgery. These events are recognized as “complications” but their occurrence is minimized by appropriate patient selection, proper surgical decision making, effective surgical technique, and thorough preoperative and postoperative patient management.

1. Double vision: Diplopia or double vision is rare but may occur following upper eyelid surgery if muscles that move the globe of the eye are inadvertently injured during removal of protruding fat pads. Injury to these muscles, termed extraocular muscles, will result in immediate or gradual development of double vision, which will require more invasive surgery to repair.
2. Bleeding or small hematoma may occur and refers to the accumulation of blood in the early postoperative period which pools into a surgical pocket. Since the skin of the eyelid is limited, hematomas must be drained immediately as any increased build up of fluid may result in disruption of your incision line and/or increase pressure on the eye globe itself.
3. Infection: An infection can occur following upper eyelid surgery but is very rare. The eyelid tissue as is the facial skin is very well vascularized and not likely to get infected. In addition, upper eyelid patients are provided antibiotic eyedrops, which should suppress any potential bacterial growth.
4. Dry eyes: Dry eyes may develop as a result of changing pressures on the eyeball caused by the tightening of the overlying eyelid skin. The increase in pressure is believed to affect the eye lubrication and draining system (lacrimal system) which keep the moistened at all times. Patients who have a propensity for dry eyes preoperatively should be cautioned about developing this complication. Fortunately, as the eye accommodates to its new state, dry eyes tend to resolve over several months.
5. Visual compromise: Although this is an extremely rare complication, it is conceivable that direct damage to the globe of the eye and/or the vascularity of the globe could occur resulting in blindness.