Blepharoplasty Q & A
What is blepharoplasty?
Blepharoplasty corrects heavy appearing, droopy eyelids to give you a brighter, more youthful look and at times to improve vision.
Dr. Urbinelli offers a wide range of treatment options for heavy, prominent, puffy eyelids, including nearly scarless approaches, fat transfer/repositioning, and a transconjunctival approach (no external scar!).
Treating your upper and/or lower eyelids can be a subtle but large improvement in creating a more youthful appearance. Remember, the eyes are the windows to the soul; let everyone know your soul is feeling great!
Upper eyelid lift
For an upper eyelid lift, Dr. Urbinelli makes an incision in the natural crease of the eyelid and removes excess skin, tissue, and fat. The natural folds of the eyelid hide the incision line beautifully.
He also offers the transformative "Asian eyelid surgery" to create an upper tarsal crease for patients who are looking to add this if it is missing on their eyelid. Fat grafting can also be discussed in improving upper eye-lid appearance if addressing a “hollowed-out” look.
Lower eyelid lift
In a lower eyelid lift, Dr. Urbinelli may simply remove or reposition any bulging fat pads that contribute to puffiness. If you have excess skin in addition to puffiness on the lower eyelid, Dr. Urbinelli uses a traditional incision just below the eyelashes to remove excess skin.
To reduce the appearance of scars, Dr. Urbinelli may perform the procedure using a hidden, transconjunctival (on inside of the eyelid), incision. This allows him to access and treat the fat that may be contributing to the puffiness, dark circles under eyes, or deep tear troughs.
Blepharoplasty takes between 45 minutes and two hours, depending upon whether you’re having upper, lower, or both lids addressed.
For most patients, this can be done using local anesthesia, conscious sedation, or general anesthesia (depending on extent of the surgical plan and patient comfort) and after surgery, patients can go home to recover (no hospital stay required).
Who should consider blepharoplasty?
You may not give your eyelids much thought until they start to droop around your eyes, giving you a hooded, tired appearance.
This is due to the thin skin, which loses elasticity early on in the aging process. Your muscles and fat retaining ligaments/fascia also start to weaken, so bags and excess fatty deposits become more prominent or may bulge. You may also develop shadowy hollows below your eyes.
Factors such as sun damage, frequent eye rubbing, obesity, and smoking can accelerate deterioration in the eyelid tissue.
With the loss of elasticity in the upper tissue, the lids begin to droop and rest on the eyelashes, interfering with vision.
If you’re experiencing these issues with appearance or vision due to eye lids clear sight, visit PNW Plastic Surgery to find out more about how blepharoplasty could help you.
What should I expect during recovery from eyelid surgery?
Most people can return to most of their normal activities within a few days. Full recovery can take up to three weeks.
It’s normal to experience some swelling, irritation, dryness, and bruising in the days following the procedure. You receive comprehensive aftercare instructions, which can help minimize these side effects. Cold compresses and mild pain relievers are usually adequate to help.
To learn how you can improve your look with blepharoplasty, call PNW Plastic Surgery or schedule a consultation online.
BLEPHAROPLASTY
BEFORE & AFTER
