Eyelid surgery Continued
During initial consultation for your Eyelid Surgery, you will discuss with your surgeon all aspects of the surgery from how to prepare for your surgical appointment to what to expect after surgery. The consultation is your opportunity to get answers to any questions you may have regarding your surgery—including what extra costs you could incur and what types of medications you will need post op.
Eyelid Surgery is normally performed on an outpatient basis and under local anesthesia (in the eyelid area) combined with a mild sedative to keep you relaxed. The procedure begins with the surgeon taking a marker and marking incision sites in the creases of the upper and lower eyes. If surgery is being performed on both upper and lower lids, the surgeon will begin work on the upper lids first. This is because the upper lids have more tissue that requires excision. For either upper or lower lids, your surgeon will separate the eyelid skin from the underlying tissues and trim away excesses of skin, muscle and fat deposits. A very fine suture is used to close the incisions once the surgeon has finished work.
As a note: in some instances only fat needs to be removed from the lower lid. In this case the surgeon will perform a transconjunctival blepharoplasty. This means the incision needed to do the surgery is made from inside the lid and thus leaves no visible scarring.
Results
You will be able to go home after surgery. Your surgeon may give you, or may require that you provide for yourself icepacks or similar soothing eyewear as well as eye guards to protect your eyes during sleep. You can expect bruising and swelling of the eye area and your surgeon probably will advise you to keep your head elevated for several days.
For a couple of weeks you may experience sensitivity to light or blurriness and perhaps excessive tearing. Sutures from your Eyelid surgery will be removed within 3-5 days of surgery. Within two weeks you should be able to go back to work; however some swelling and bruising will be evident for up to one month. You will need to take it easy for at least three weeks.
Eyelid surgery scars can take up to six months to fade. However, these scars are very thin lines and barely noticeable. When all the swelling has gone down and you have fully recovered from your surgery, you will notice that you have more alive, youthful looking eyes.
Risks
Few complications exist for Eyelid surgery. Allergic reactions to anesthesia are most common. Excessive scarring is a possibility in individuals predisposed to it. In rare instances patients will develop ectropin, which is a condition where the lower lid gaps. Ectropin involves the need for further, corrective surgery. By choosing an experienced plastic surgeon with a proven record of successful Eyelid Surgeries, you help to ensure that your surgery will contain very little risk.
By MS Kauffman
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