Looking Forward to Eyelid Surgery?

Eyelid surgery is actually called blepharoplasty in the medical world. This operation is designed to remove the puffy, sagging areas around the eyes that make a person look haggard and older than they feel. Surgeons remove excess tissue and fatty deposits in both the upper and lower lids. Everyone ages differently - some people show their years in the facial skin of a wrinkled brow, others sag in the neck and jowl region and some have droopy lids around their eyes. When the eyes are the portion of the face that show wear and tear, it not only looks unsightly, it can actually hamper vision. When a physician performs initial examinations of a patient with drooping eyelids, he or she will also check out peripheral vision. If the patient's eyesight is being obscured by these flaps of skin, medical insurance may step in to cover the procedure. Here are some things to expect.

What The Procedure Entails

This operation is routinely performed in a hospital or clinical setting. Anesthesia will be administered in order to keep the patient comfortable. Usually, this is a local injection but if other procedures are being performed simultaneously, general anesthesia may be administered. Blepharoplasty is an outpatient technique meaning that the patient would go home on the same day. Some patients only need the upper or lower lids corrected while others need both uppers and lowers. The surgeon will make small incisions to remove excess fat and skin. These incisions are usually made in the creases in order to hide scarring as much as possible. There are various types of eyelid surgery including those that are performed with lasers or those that follow a transconjunctival or transcutaneous method.

Post-Op Expectations

After the operation, the patient will have bruising and swelling initially. He or she should plan on staying home from work and other activities for a few days and will need a friend or family member to drive them home. Having supplies on hand at home for the recovery period will be helpful such as ice packs, over-the-counter painkillers, artificial tears, gauze, and plenty of healthy food. The patient won't feel like going to the grocery store and will need to follow a nutritious diet to aid in healing. Because there are stitches in place, it will be necessary to return to the physician for removal of the stitches as well as an examination of the healing results. A patient will have to remain makeup free until getting the green light from the attending physician as cosmetic products could cause an infection at the site. As with all medical procedures, there are risks of complications. Some examples include infection, excessive bleeding, dry eyes and unexpected scarring. Problems are rare, however, and a patient who follows his or her doctor's advice and refrains from smoking tobacco products is likelier to have a successful outcome.

When it comes to eyelid surgery, patients who are looking forward to their own should rest easier when they know what to expect. After recovering, they should look more youthful and be pleased with the results.