Tired-looking eyes caused by heavy eyelids or puffy, saggy under-eye bags are one of the most common complaints of patients contemplating cosmetic surgery.
Blepharoplasty could be performed on the upper or lower eyelid or both, and it could be performed by itself or combined with other procedures, such as brow lift, or ptosis surgery.
The surgery is usually made under local anaesthesia. Excess skin from the upper lid is usually removed. As for the lower lid, the usual procedure is to reposition the prolapsed fat that give the lazy appearance, avoiding skin excision, as the lower eyelid have less skin laxity comparing to the upper lid.
Tired-looking eyes caused by heavy eyelids or puffy, saggy under-eye bags are one of the most common complaints of patients contemplating cosmetic surgery.
Eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty, can restore a more energetic and youthful appearance. You should look refreshed, as if you’re just back from holiday.
Lower eyelid bags are caused by orbital fat prolapse through the weakened septum, which is the wall separating the eyelid from the orbit. Also, due to gravity, the cheek line drops over the years, accentuating the eyelid bags.
There are a few ways to treat lower eyelid bags. In mild cases, filler injection along the tear trough line could camouflage mild cases. For more prominent eyelid bags, surgery would be preferable.
The main purpose of the surgery is to reduce the prominent lid bags and camouflage the tear trough line. That could be accomplished by redistributing the fat with conservative excision of skin if needed. Lifting the eyelid could help maintain a youthful tight eyelid.
Expect cosmetic improvement of the lid bags by 80%, as the cosmetic outcome should be weighed against the functional outcome of the lower lid. The surgery should avoid causing exposure to the eye surface and dry eye.
Bruising could last up to 2 weeks and a small amount of bleeding is expected in the first day.
Double vision could happen after the surgery and may last for 2 weeks, as the surgery is taking place very close to the inferior oblique muscle, which is one of the muscles responsible for eye movements.
Scar could be obvious for 6 months if the surgery were performed from the skin side.
Cold compress could be used as soon as possible after surgery. The patient can use commercially available eye compress, or even a bag of frozen peas. Apply the cold compress for 10 minutes every 2 hours, during waking hours, for 2 days then x4 for 2 more days.
Compressive eye pads can be removed 2 days after the surgery and the steroid ointment can be applied over the lower lid, 3 times a day for 1 week.
Maxitrol drops, which are a combination of antibiotics and steroids, could be added when the surgery is taking place on the inside of the eyelid. Silicone gel can be used to reduce the scar line.
Lower blepharoplasty or lid bag surgery. Start with £3500 for both lower lids.
