Blepharoplasty: Your Ultimate Eye Transformation

Benefits of Blepharoplasty 

The eyes are usually one of the first to show signs of aging in the face, especially due to the delicate skin that surrounds the eyes. As the eyes begin to change and the eyelids stretch, the supporting muscle structures weaken, allowing excess skin and fat to accumulate. This causes sagging and drooping, making the face look dull, tired and less alert. No matter how much money is invested to ward off signs of aging in the eyes, the wrinkles and bags that form are difficult to prevent and treat at home. Fortunately, there are options to address all these concerns, and blepharoplasty can do just that. Avoiding complications of eyelid surgery.

Cost and Pricing 

Eyelid surgery typically costs around $4,100.

How the Procedure Works

The procedure typically takes about one to three hours with the upper eyelids being addressed first if all four are to be worked on. Incisions are made following the natural lines and creases of the eyelids to then separate the skin from underlying layers. Once these layers are exposed, the surgeon can remove excess fat and trim sagging skin and muscle. The incisions are then closed with fine sutures, and any scars are concealed by the natural creases of the eyes. 

Aftercare and Recovery

The recovery process lasts about a week to 10 days before you are able to return to typical activity, and patients may expect some discomfort and soreness directly after. After about two weeks, the bruising and swelling generally decreases. The healing is gradual and after about six months the scars fade almost completely. The results are long lasting, natural and customizable making it well worth the process.

Side Effects and Risks

As with any surgical procedure, however, blepharoplasty is not without its risks and complications. The globe of the eye is a highly complicated organ that is controlled by several major independent muscle groups. Of all these groups, the inferior and superior oblique muscles are commonly injured when a blepharoplasty. Thus, it is especially important that your surgeon is trained and highly knowledgeable in the anatomy and physiology of the eyelid. When your surgeon is experienced and prepared for such a procedure, eyelid surgery can be designed and customized to the individual’s desires while avoiding deformities and complications. 

One of these main complications in blepharoplasty is ectropion, a condition in which the eyelid turns outward exposing the inner surface to irritation. This results in the low eyelid being pulled down onto the cheek with the white of the eye being exposed. These can obviously adversely affect the facial aesthetics and lead to further medical issues which need to be corrected surgically. In order to make an informed decision if undergoing the procedure, it is important to understand the risk factors that contribute to developing ectropion. These include exophthalmos, which is an enlarged eye globe, or loose eyelid skin especially at the eyelash level. Another risk factor is a negative Jelk’s vector, a term that refers to the lack of generous cheekbones. 

In an attempt to avoid these complications and injury risks of the oblique eye muscles, your surgeon should complete anatomic studies to position these muscles using bony atomic landmarks. This allows your surgeon to address these concerns and avoid complications via modifications to the procedure. Patients who have any of the above risk factors should consider a more invasive lower eyelid surgery where the eyelid margin is tightened. This helps to counter the vertical pull of the eyelid skin to prevent the development of an ectropion or other complications. To avoid this complication, a unique maneuver has been designed that diverts the vertical and downward pull placed on the eyelid in the traditional blepharoplasty. By redefining the excision of the skin in a more oblique vertical orientation, the pull of the eyelid margin following the vertical skin redundancy can be eliminated. Thus, the pull on the eyelid is transferred laterally on the lateral obit instead of the eyelid margin. This can significantly lower the risk of eyelid surgery complications.

If you are interested in eyelid surgery, or even just curious as to whether or not the procedure is right for you, feel free to call us at (310) 273-3007 with any questions you have. We will be happy to assist you and provide guidance to various treatment options, whether it concerns eyebrow divots or any procedure you are considering!