If you’ve invested a fortune in eye creams and anti-aging serums but you still feel like you are aging around the eyes, you’re not alone. As we age, the skin around our eyes loses its elasticity and you may develop loose folds of skin on the upper eyelids and deep creases on the lower lids. At the same time, your muscles in this area may also slacken so that any fat bulges forward and gives a ‘baggy’ appearance.
Eye surgery, or Blepharoplasty, is a surgical operation designed to remove the excess fatty tissue, muscle and loose skin of the upper and lower eyelids to create a more youthful look.
- Baggy eyes developed during your 20’s, which can be an inherited trait from your family
- Droopy eyes or bagginess appearing in your early to mid-30s
- Bags below and above the eye – particularly where the upper lids appear to disappear under the brow bone
- Permanently puffy eyelids, caused by the accumulation of excess skin and/or fat. The fat is originally under or behind the eye and migrates forward with the ageing of the eyelid tissues
- Improving sight, through the removal of saggy skin if the upper lids hang over the eyelashes obstructing vision
- Wrinkles, but only those in the skin that is cut away in the operation. It will not remove "crow’s feet" and cannot change the colour of dark shadows under the eyes.
It is important to discuss with Dr Zacharia what you are hoping to gain from the operation, and the result you can realistically expect.
Most adults, male or female, can have eye surgery and it’s usually for confidence and aesthetic reasons.
A guide for patients - illustrations reprinted with permission of Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons Inc., The Australasian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and Mi-tec Medical Publishing. The complete pamphlet is available from your surgeon.
You will meet with Dr Zacharia, who will carefully evaluate your needs and define the appropriate amount of eye surgery.
The operation is usually performed under twilight anesthesia but general anesthesia can be used if preferred and/or if necessary.
Upper eyelid
- A small incision is made in the curved eyelid crease of the upper eyelid. This placement assures that the scar will be well hidden when it heals.
- Dr Zacharia will remove the previously determined amount of excess skin and fat and the incision is then closed with small stitches.
- The procedure itself takes approximately an hour, depending on the individual case.
Lower eyelid
- In the lower eyelid, the fat is removed through a small incision immediately below the eyelashes or behind the eyelid.
- The operation takes one to two hours.
- Eye surgery is generally a day procedure but if a general anesthetic is used, you might have to spend a night in hospital.
- The first one to two hours after surgery are spent in the recovery room where cold compresses are applied to minimise swelling.
- When you’re fully alert, you will be able to return home in the care of a family member or friend.
- The stitches are removed five to seven days following surgery. You may then resume wearing makeup and using contact lenses.
- You will be encouraged to keep your head elevated for several days, and to use cold compresses to reduce bruising and swelling.
- You may experience watery eyes and irritation for the first few days following surgery.
- The incisions may remain pink for a short period following surgery but can be easily covered using makeup after the stitches have been removed. They are usually completely faded within four to six months.
- You should be able to resume work and normal activities after a week. Dark glasses can help you feel confident and return to your normal routine as soon as possible.
- There is very little, if any, pain following eyelid surgery. Pain medication is prescribed, although it is not usually necessary.
Detailed post-operative care instructions are given by the surgeon and they must be carefully followed to ensure best results.
Eye surgery involves the tissue surrounding the eyes and vision is not affected by this operation.
There is a slight risk, although rare, of downward displacement of the lower eyelid as a result of skin tension, but this can usually be corrected by 'squeeze' exercises, involving repeated tight closure of the eyelids. Occasionally, this displacement may be significant enough to require a second operation despite the best possible surgical techniques, particularly in advanced cases with poor muscle tone.
Any type of surgery involves the potential for complications and risk. Dr Zacharia takes all precautions to minimise complications and risk but some patients may suffer from; bleeding, infection, scarring, milia, prolonged swelling, poor aesthetic result, ectropion, asymmetry, lagopthalmos. Approximately 10% of patients will require minor correctional surgery.
The eyes are perhaps our most important facial features. They have the ability to show our feelings and emotions and to greatly influence the overall facial expression so if your eyes are affecting your life or confidence talk to Dr Zacharia today.
The information provide on this site is not intended to replace the need for a doctors consultation. Final decisions should not be made until an individual assessment has taken place with the surgeon.
There is no obligation on the part of the patient to undergo surgery by attending a consultation.
