Considering Eyelid Surgery

It can be annoying when people are always asking you if you are tired? Is your sight restricting you from viewing things that are around you? If you've answered yes to either of these questions then you may be a good candidate for a cosmetic surgery procedure called blepharoplasty. 

Blepharoplasty or eyelid surgery can be performed on your choice of either the lower or upper eyelid with the objective changing the features of the eyelid as well as correcting any working problems that you might be feeling. This type of surgery can be performed for health reasons related to performance or for aesthetic reasons.

If it is performed due of medical reasons, then quite possibly the whole procedure may be covered by your insurance. You may need further diagnosis and reports for your insurance company before they will foot the bill of the surgery. This type of surgery becomes necessary when natural aging affects some people as their forehead starts to sag and right along with the forehead is the upper eyelid.

Due to the quantity of drooping that happens, the extra skin can obstruct your view fully or partially for people who have this problem. The drooping eyes is what makes you look tired. Aging can also affect the lower eyelids as well, leaving behind ugly bags under the eyes. Blepharoplasty can help in solving issues related with the lower or upper eyelid issues.

For upper eyelid surgery, a cosmetic surgeon will remove the excess skin and may also be required to take away some muscle and fat too. This will enable you to open your eye again and it will enhance your vision. For the best possible outcome, a brow lift may be required along with this procedure too.

For lower eyelid surgery, a cosmetic surgeon will remove or chaneg the position of any extra fat or skin around the eyelid. Taking away the fat can generate an empty appearance and more modern techniques involve repositioning the fat over the bone of the lower eyelid creating a natural appearance from the eyelid all the way to the cheek area. You should understand that either upper or lower eyelid surgeries do have risks.

It is important that when you make an appointment that you share your full medical history with your cosmetic surgeon simply to remove some risks. You should also be forthcoming about any medications that you currently take (including herbal or over the counter) or any medical conditions that are giving you trouble or discomfort. After fully disclosing your information, the cosmetic surgeon will confidently know which cosmetic procedure is proper for you and your criteria. The surgeon will also help you fully understand all that is involved in eyelid surgery as well as what your expectations should be. For your situation, it may be required to have a mix of both surgeries to get maximum results.

The Cost of Blepharoplasty

The average price for a blepharoplasty surgeon was $3,134 in 2007. (Source: the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.) It is important to know that the price does not include the operating facility cost, like the hospital or surgical clinic, nor does it include the cost of anesthesia.

One must also realize that prices and fees differ depending on the area where it is performed. The same goes for surgeons' fees so it pays to do your homework. As with many things in life, settling on a surgeon's practice strongly based on price isn't always the best choice. Select a surgeon based on skills, reputation, experience, training and testimonials and not simply due to a lower cost.

RISKS & COMPLICATIONS  

Some of the possible risks and complications related to blepharoplasty include:

• Infection; which is normal with any surgical procedure 
• Negative reaction to anesthesia.
• Short-term blurred vision (generally lasts a few days)
• Temporary swelling, near the incision areas.
• Disproportionate healing
• Scarring

Other, potentially more serious complications are:

• Temporary difficulty closing the eyes.
• Ectropion - An extremely rare problem which develops into a descending pull on the lower eyelids. More surgery may be necessary.

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PREPARING FOR SURGERY

Before your surgery, you will given a serios of tests and diagnosis in regards to your vision and overall eye health. If you wear corrective lenses, you should carry them to the doctors office.

Patients who experience dry-eye symptoms have a higher risk of problems afterwards. Remember, during your visit, it will be, in general, your final opportunity to talk about your expectations so they should be brought up at that time.

Durign your appointment you will typicall discuss if you will have upper eyelids (upper blepharoplasty),or lower eyelids (lower blepharoplasty) or all of them performed on.

You will know what types of medications to omit and consume, foods and drinks to consume or omit and anything else.

If you are a smoker, you should cease smoking a few weeks before the surgery. Smoking impedes the healing stage.

Unless transportation is scheduled by the surgeon's office, you will likely have to schedule for transportation home.

AFTER THE PROCEDURE

After Blepharoplasty, the surgeon's office will likely give you an agenda to follow after the surgery. Read it and inquire about items you are unsure of or don't understand. Below are some general tips but whatever your cosmetic surgeon tells you to follow is best.

• Keep your head elevated
• Cold packs
• Cleaning your eyes of the crusty stickey growth around the incision area.
• Eyedrops; Most patients are given wet drops to keep the eyes moist.

Asian blepharoplasty, also known as double-eyelid surgery, refers to surgery created to input a pretarsal crease in Asian eyes that are without a fold. Patients generally want to appear more bright-eyed. Patients also want to take away the puffy and tired look related with a fatty upper lid. In the present American society, Asian patients almost never want to have a western external look, and cosmetic surgeons should be very cautious of altering a patient's ethnic features.

Patients generally do not want to change their ethnic appearance. Although, most patients are interested in the creation of an eyelid crease, called the double eyelid operation. In young patients, this can often be accomplished with NO incision or cutting.