SURGERY FOR AGING EYELIDS
With age the skin of eyelids stretch
and sag, muscles become weak and excess fat collects below your eyelids. This
can cause sagging of eyebrows, drooping of upper lids and eye bags in lower
eyelids. Baggy skin of upper eyelids can impair vision and decrease field of
vision and make a person look older.
Blepharoplasty also called Eyelid
surgery, corrects droopy eyelids by removing excess skin, muscle and fat. It
repairs the sagging upper eyelids to improve vision as well as the appearance
of the person. Removing this tissue can improve vision and make your eyes
appear younger and more alert. It also corrects the baggy or puffy lower
eyelids to give an alert and crisp look. The upper and lower eyelids are lifted
and loose or excess skin and fat tissue are removed from the eye area. The
procedure is limited to the eyelids and may be combined with methods to improve
other areas of the face. Brow lifts, which raise the eyebrows or keep them from
sagging over the eyes, may be recommended along with to help improve the upper
third of the face.
Q: Who are the ideal candidates for
Blepharoplasty or eyelid surgery and how is it planned?
A: Blepharoplasty is a surgical
procedure that can restore a youthful appearance to the eye area. People with
sagging upper eyelids and puffy lower eyelids or with lower eyelid eye bags can
be good candidates for this surgery. Patient should be physically healthy and
have realistic expectations from the surgery. Eyelid surgery cannot remove dark
circles and crowfeet lines around eyes that require other procedures like
chemical peels and Botox. Person’s medical record is checked and eyes are
checked for dry eyes, reduced tear production and lower eyelid laxity. Preoperative
markings are made accurately to remove just the right amount of skin from upper
and lower eyelids.
Q: How is Blepharoplasty or eyelid
surgery performed?
A: There are several approaches to
blepharoplasty. One method removes excess skin from either the upper or lower
lid, as well as the underlying fat pad when indicated. An incision is made
along the crease in the upper eyelid and just below the eyelashes in case of
lower eyelid surgery, the skin is separated gently from underlying structures,
fat and muscle, and underlying tissue separated to remove the fat pad. The pad
is then cauterized (heat sealed). Loose skin and/ or muscle is removed and
incision is sutured with fine threads.
The second type of blepharoplasty
procedure, Transconjuctival Blepharoplasty, may benefit patients with
protruding fat and not too much extra skin. This surgery is performed by making
an incision on the inside of lining of the lower eyelids. This approach
eliminates the visible scar but does not remove excess skin. In alternative
treatment options, Non-invasive radiofrequency treatments can tighten the
crinkly skin on the lower lids. The advantages of radiofrequency treatments include
no post-procedure downtime or recovery, single treatment, and minimal
complications. The crowfeet lines around the corners of eyes can be treated
with BOTOX injection treatment.