Cosmetic eyelid surgery, called blepharoplasty, is a surgical procedure to improve the appearance of the upper eyelids, lower eyelids, or both, and give a rejuvenated appearance to the surrounding area of your eyes, making you look more rested and alert. Specifically, eyelid surgery can treat:

• Loose or sagging skin that creates folds or disturbs the natural contour of the upper eyelid, sometimes impairing vision
• Excess fatty deposits that appear as puffiness in the upper eyelids
• Bags under the eyes
• Droopiness of the lower eyelids, showing white below the iris (coloured portion of the eye)
• Excess skin and fine wrinkles of the lower eyelid.

Eyelid surgery is usually performed on adult men and women who have healthy facial tissue and muscles and have realistic goals for improvement of the upper and/or lower eyelids and surrounding area. You should do it for yourself, not to fulfil someone else’s desires or to try to fit any sort of ideal image. You must inform us if you have any of the following medical condition:

• Loose or sagging skin that creates folds or disturbs the natural contour of the upper eyelid, sometimes impairing vision.

Step 1 – Anaesthesia
Medications are administered for your comfort during the surgical procedure. The choices include intravenous sedation or general anaesthesia. Your doctor will recommend the best choice for you.

Step 2 – The incision
The incision lines for eyelid surgery are designed for scars to be well concealed within the natural structures of the eyelid region. Droopy conditions of the upper eyelid can be corrected through an incision within the natural crease of the upper eyelid allowing repositioning of fat deposits, tightening of muscles and tissue, and/or removal of excess skin. Conditions of the lower eyelid may be corrected with an incision just below the lower lash line. Through this incision, excess skin in the lower eyelids is removed. A transconjunctival incision, one hidden inside the lower eyelid, is an alternate technique to correct lower eyelid conditions and redistribute or remove excess fat.

Step 3 – Closing the incisions
Eyelid incisions typically are closed with:

• Loose or sagging skin that creates folds or disturbs the natural contour of the upper eyelid, sometimes impairing vision
• Removable or absorbable sutures
• Skin adhesives
• Surgical tape
• Your surgeon may use a laser chemical peel to erase dark discoloration of the lower eyelids.

Step 4 – See the results
The results of eyelid surgery will appear gradually as swelling and bruising subside to reveal a smooth, better-defined eyelid and surrounding region, and an alert and rejuvenated appearance.

After your procedure is completed, lubricating ointment and cold compresses may be applied, and in some cases your eyes may be loosely covered with gauze.

You will be given specific instructions that may include: how to care for your eyes, medications to apply or take orally to aid healing and reduce the potential for infection, specific concerns to look for at the surgical site or in your overall health, and when to follow-up with your plastic surgeon.

Initial healing may include some swelling, bruising, irritation or dry eyes and discomfort that can be controlled with medication, cold compresses and ointment. Irritation at the incision sites also is possible.

Your final results will appear within several weeks, but it may take up to a year for incision lines to fully refine.

While eyelid surgery can be expected to correct certain conditions permanently, you will continue to age naturally. Life-long sun protection will help to maintain your results.