Understanding Eyelid Surgery (blepharoplasty) or Droopy Eyelid Surgery
Blepharolasty (pronounced blef’-ah-roplas-te) is plastic surgery to remove excess skin from upper and/or lower eyelids. Sagging eyebrows may be corrected at the same time. Eyelid surgery is done to improve visual function and/or cosmetic appearance by giving you a more youthful, bright eyed look.
Your field of vision can be limited by an excess of eyelid tissue. If you think of your eyes as your screen to the world, you eyelids are the shades that can pull down over that screen and limit your vision. Here is a simple way to tell if blepharoplasty would benefit you: Take your fingers and lift your upper eyelids. See if your field of vision improves or your vision brightens. If it does, you may be a good candidate for the procedure.
Although many plastic surgeons perform blepharoplasty, an ophthalmologist is the only surgeon specifically trained to treat the eye. Both the function and lubrication of your eyes can be affected by blepharoplasty.
Eyelid surgery is done on an outpatient basis in the on-site surgical facility at Yaldo Eye Center. A local anesthesia is used to numb your eyelids and Valium is administered to keep you relaxed and comfortable during the procedure. After the amount of excess skin and fat is determined, upper and lower incision lines are marked along the skin’s natural creases. These incision lines generally extend into the “crow’s feet” or “smile lines” at the eye’s outer edge so that they will be less visible after the skin has healed. The lower incisions are usually made on the inner part of the eyelid. This results in no visible outer eyelid incision. These techniques give a more natural, less “plastic” look to your eyes.
Results from eyelid surgery are usually very successful. The extent of corrective work, your skin structure and healing process, hereditary factors, age and other physical characteristics are all factors that affect the end results.
If you are considering eyelid surgery to improve your vision, you should know that eyelid surgery of the upper lids is normally covered by insurance. Talk to the vision experts at Yaldo Eye Center about how belpharoplasty could improve both your vision and appearance.
