Blepharoplasty - Eyelid Surgery

The eyes are one of the most prominent facial features. They are often the first thing that we see when meeting someone new. Eyes that are beautiful can take attention away from other, less ideal features. Unfortunately, the eyes are often the first area of the face to show the signs of age and may, with time, appear tired, droopy and swollen.

Blepharoplasty, also known as eyelid surgery or an eyelid lift, is a cosmetic surgery procedure which removes excess fat and skin from the upper and lower eyelids and alters the underlying muscles in order to improve a puffy, sagging or tired appearance. This produces a more youthful, refreshed appearance to the eyelids. Blepharoplasty can be performed for cosmetic reasons to improve aging symptoms, as well as for functional reasons to improve droopy eyelids that interfere with the patient’s field of vision. Blepharoplasty is often performed with other procedures such as BOTOX® treatments, facelift, neck lift, or brow lift.

Candidates for blepharoplasty are in generally good health, have realistic expectations for improvement and are looking to improve sagging upper eyelids or puffy under-eye bags. Drooping of the eyelids may occur for several reasons. With age, the skin may lose its elasticity and begin to droop. As the outer edges of the eyebrows begin to droop, the skin of the upper eyelids may appear saggy. This can be resolved by trimming the excess skin. Droopy eyelid fat may also be to blame and can lead to a tired appearance. Over time, as sagging occurs, fat of the upper and lower eyelids can bulge and lead to the appearance of bags. This is improved by trimming the excess fat and tightening the underlying fibrous tissue.

Dr. Miller and Dr. Steinbrech perform blepharoplasty surgery on an outpatient basis at their JCAHO Accredited office-based surgery facility at Gotham Plastic Surgery of New York City. The surgery typically takes 45 minutes to one and a half hours to complete and is often performed with local anesthesia. The incisions are placed in the creases of the upper eyelids and either inside of the lower eyelids or just below the lashes of the lower eyelids. Through these incisions, excess skin and fat are removed and fine sutures are then used to close the incisions.

The recovery after blepharoplasty takes approximately seven to ten days. During this time, patients may experience some temporary blurred vision, swelling and bruising. Make-up can be worn after five days to help conceal any remaining discoloration. The stitches are typically removed within three to four days, and contact lenses can be worn after two weeks. While most patients return to work within about ten days, exercise should be postponed for about three weeks.

See Blepharoplasty before and after photos