Eyelid Sculpting

The eyes have been called the "windows to the soul", and usually the eyes are the first "window" to showing a person's true age. Droopy, hooded upper lids, crow's feet, or ptotic eyebrows can make one appear dreary and older that they are. Severe hooding, or drooping of upper eyelids, can obstruct peripheral vision. Facial Cosmetic surgery can address specific defects of the eyes. Laser assisted blepharoplasty can remove bulging fat pockets and redundant skin. An endoscopic brow lift can correct sagging brows and improve the orbital appearance while giving an aesthetic arch to the brow with hidden hairline incisions. Laser resurfacing diminishes crow's feet and fine wrinkles to turn back time. Eyelid surgery is one of the most gratifying cosmetic procedures performed. Feeling good and looking good have a great deal in common. Cosmetic Facial Surgery can have a dramatic effect on the orbital window, restoring a brighter and more rested facial appearance.

Call us for information about eyelid lifts in Colleyville / Fort Worth, TX, (817) 552-3223.

Eyes are a prominent facial feature. It is the surrounding skin, rather than the eyes themselves, that conveys emotion. The tissue, muscle, fat, hair and lashes all contribute to the wide array of expressions. Age, sun exposure and hereditary factors all contribute to wrinkles, deep lines and puffiness around the eyes.

The aging process can cause unwanted changes in expression, causing us to look permanently fatigued and older than we really are. These changes in appearance can cause emotional distress and sometimes even visual impairment. An eyelid lift, or blepharoplasty, is designed to restore a more youthful appearance to your eyes. It may involve the upper lids, the lower lids, or both.

Blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery, is a cosmetic surgery that corrects sagging or drooping eyelids as well as bags and bulges around the eyes. These conditions develop as a result of laxity of the eyelid skin and protrusion of fat around the eyes. It is not limited to older patients, as many individuals inherit a predisposition toward development of fat pouches at an early age. Excess skin is treated by excision or occasionally by laser resurfacing. If excess fat is present, it can be removed simultaneously. Care must be taken to not remove excessive amounts of fat to avoid a hollowing appearance with increasing age of the patient.

New Eyelid Techniques

The operation is begun on the upper eyelids by making incisions in the natural crease region of the lid and removing the excess tissue above this incision. The location of the incisions, coupled with the excellent healing ability of the eyelid skin, almost always results in scars that are difficult, if not impossible, to see with the passage of time. Through these incisions excess skin, fat or muscle are removed depending on the individual problem. The use of the surgical laser can help to minimize postoperative swelling and bruising.

Following completion of the surgery, the incisions are usually closed with very fine absorbable suture.

The lower eyelid may require a wide variety of treatments depending on the pre operative diagnosis. When the problem in the lower lid is primarily the bulging of fat, without excess skin, the lower lid blepharoplasty is conveniently carried out through an incision made inside the lower eyelid, thus eliminating all visible scarring. This procedure, called a transconjunctival blepharoplasty, has gained popularity because it minimizes the risk of pulling on the lower lid, a complication discussed below. The transconjunctival approach can be combined with a chemical peel or laser resurfacing of the lower eyelid to help remove some of the lines in the lower eyelid skin. If significant laxity exists in the lower eyelid skin and muscle a traditional lower eyelid blepharoplasty by means of excising excess tissue from an incision along the lash line is another option that may be indicated. In certain cases, where the lower eyelid is extremely lax, additional work may be required to tighten the lid to prevent postoperative drooping.

Eyelid surgery is almost always an outpatient procedure performed under general anesthesia. In some instances the procedure can be performed under local anesthesia with IV sedation.

The Surgery

Local anesthesia is given around the eyes. An intravenous line is started so that sedation may also be given. During the procedure you will be awake but comfortable and relaxed. General anesthesia is rarely used.

This procedure is performed on an outpatient basis at our surgical center. It is important to arrange for care after the surgery. Someone must drive you home and be available to care for you for the first 24 hours.

Complications are unlikely when performed by a surgeon with experience in blepharoplasty. These include: bleeding and swelling, delayed wound healing, infection, drooping of eye upper or lower eyelid, asymmetry, double vision and dry eyes.

Recovery: What to Expect

Discomfort is usually relatively mild after blepharoplasty although, this will vary. Most patients require little or no pain medication. Some minor irritation of the eyes is common and may occur for several days after the operation. Blurred vision can occur early after surgery if eye ointment was applied. Close adherence to your postoperative instructions will greatly diminish the discomfort, swelling and bruising that you will have after your surgery. You may expect to resume normal activity within a week to 10 days, and start enjoying your new look within approximately 10-14 days.

Serious complications are most unusual and those that occur can usually be corrected. Since there is variation in the scar contracture following this operation, wise and conscientious surgeons are always careful to avoid excessive tissue removal particularly in the lower eyelids. This minimizes the risk of a complication called ectropion - in which the lower lid is pulled down and outward. This risk is also minimized by the transconjunctival approach, when indicated. Additional risks include bleeding, postoperative dryness of the eye, visible scaring, and, in very rare cases, visual loss.