Is Blepharoplasty a Safe Procedure?

Blepharoplasty – Know How It Works

Most people are worried about the signs of aging. Thankfully, with today’s most advanced medical care, it is possible to correct almost all types of cosmetic problems and bring back the natural beauty. Blepharoplasty, commonly called eyelid surgery, is a plastic surgery procedure done to remove the excess fat, muscle, or skin from the upper and lower eyelid area. This article attempts to answer the question “is Blepharoplasty a safe procedure?”

Blepharoplasty is performed for both cosmetic and functional reasons. Based on your requirement, you can undergo an upper eyelid surgery or a lower eyelid surgery. The former is done mainly to remove the excess skin on the upper eyelid, along with the removal of fatty tissues. Through this, a considerable improvement can be achieved for corrugator hyperactivity or glabellar frown lines. On the other hand, lower blepharoplasty is done for a number of purposes such as:

• To reposition lower eyelid area
• To reposition the corner of the eye
• To reposition lateral tarsal strip eyelid
• Remove excess fat

How Is Blepharoplasty Performed?

Before a cosmetic eyelid surgery, the patient is put under local anesthesia. One or more tiny incisions are made on upper or lower area of the eyelid and excess fat and additional skin are removed to provide an improved look. In the case of lower eyelid surgery, an alternative procedure called transconjunctival blepharoplasty is utilized in which the incisions are made on the inner surface. Whereas in upper lid surgery, the incisions are made alongside the eyelid area where the natural skin creases occur. In both the cases, the average duration of plastic surgery will range from one to two hours. Fine sutures are used to stitch the incisions and so it produces only minimal scars. Mostly, the sutures will be self absorbing and self dissolving.

Normally, it takes only a few weeks to completely recover from the surgical procedure. The patient must strictly follow the post-operative instructions of the plastic surgeon. To lubricate the incisions, eye drops and ointments are applied on the affected area. Pain killers are also prescribed at times. Most plastic surgeons also recommend using iced eye pads to reduce swelling and bruising that are normal in the case of blepharoplasty. To accelerate the process of recovery, patients are advised to keep their head in a raised position when sleeping.

Are You an Ideal Candidate?

Just as in the case of other cosmetic surgery procedures, the patient should have realistic expectations and must be in good health to undergo cosmetic eyelid surgery. However, risks or complications may occur if the surgery is performed in persons with thyroid disease, hypertension and severe ophthalmic problems like dry eyes and laxity.

Consult an expert plastic surgeon to learn more about this surgical procedure and its effectiveness. The success of any cosmetic surgery greatly depends on the rapport between the surgeon and the patient.