Blepharoplasty

The procedure varies from patient to patient, depending on their preferences and the complexity of the concern. The type of anaesthesia used will depend on your preferences, suitability and the preferred surgical technique. We can perform both an upper and lower blepharoplasty under local anaesthesia in our safe and sterile clinic, reducing the anaesthesia risks. A blepharoplasty is often a day case surgery.

The surgery technique will depend on the concerns. The surgeon will usually make an incision along the lash line for a lower bleph, and within the crease of the upper eyelid for an upper bleph. They will remove excess skin, and excise some of the muscle, and may reposition the fat and tissues.

Those who:

• Are looking for more rested, youthful-looking eyes
• Have sagging or excess skin on upper eyelids
• Have under-eye bags or fluid accumulation under eyes
• Chinese or Asian patients who are looking to alter their eye shape through the double-eyelid approach
• Vision is effected by sagging upper eyelids
• Have unwanted creases around eyes

You can start to get an indication of the outcome after several weeks.

The recovery period depends on the severity of the operation requirements. For a traditional blepharoplasty, the surgeon will usually remove stitches five to seven days after surgery, and you may resume normal activities after this. We tend to use dissolvable stitches when performing a lower blepharoplasty, in which case, you wouldn’t require the removal of stitches. The majority of patients feel ready to go out in public after around ten days.

The operation usually takes up to two hours to complete.

Common side effects include swelling and redness, which usually resolves within a few weeks. The rate of recovery and side effects vary from patient to patient. Your surgeon may recommend eye ointment to keep your eyes protected and encourage healing during this time.

Other side effects may include:

• Bruising and redness; 1 to 3 weeks
• Dry and irritated eyes and puffy eyelids
• Difficulty closing eyelids
• Infection and bleeding
• Keloid or visible scarring
• Eye muscle damage
• Impaired vision, in rare cases loss of eyesight
• Asymmetry and over-correction

With that said, an optimal procedure can provide long-lasting results. With ageing (and other external forces) the skin around the eyes and its support structure will eventually weaken, and the results may subtly diminish over time.