Give a Gift CertificateBlepharoplasty
ith aging, skin loses its tone and starts to sag. We are all familiar
with our own new wrinkles as we get older. Some people, however, develop a tremendous
amount of stretching and sagging of the eyelid skin. When this occurs in the upper eyelids,
skin starts to drape over the lid margin, flop into the field of view, and create visual
impairment. Patients complain of upper visual loss, which can be accentuated when the head
is tilted down. In addition, this excess skin weighs down the lid and gives a very tired and
heavy feeling to the eyes.
If this same process occurs in the lower eyelids, thick folds ("festoons") develop and patients again acquire a very tired and saggy look.
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As people age, the eyelid skin stretches, muscles weaken, and fat accumulates around the eyes, causing "bags" above and below. |
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The solution to either of these problems is excision of this skin process. For the upper eyelids, a wedge of skin and the underlying fat pad is removed. For the lower eyelids, excess muscle may also be excised. The remaining skin is then resewn into place, giving the eyelids a smoother and younger look.
Bruising is extremely variable, and all sutures are out by one week. Blepharoplasties are usually done under local anesthesia in either the office or the hospital.