Do you live in Carmel, Indiana and are interested in having blepharoplasty? If so, this post is perfect for understanding eyelid surgery in Carmel, and how the procedure is performed.
Eyelid surgery is usually performed under twilight anesthesia on an outpatient basis. A special marking pencil is used to mark the upper eyelid crease, and calipers are used to engage the amount of excess skin contained in the upper eyelid in a method called a pinch technique. The skin is then removed and excess fatty tissue from the middle (medial) most portion of the eyelid is also removed. In some cases, the upper eyelid muscle may be contoured. The incision is closed with dissolvable sutures and/or sutures that run underneath the skin, and can be painlessly removed after one week. Within approximately one week, the incision conforms to the natural contour of the eye and is hidden in the eyelid fold. Laterally, it blends into the fine eyelid creases in the outer part of our eye.
In the lower eyelid, an incision is made several millimeters below the eyelash line and is carried laterally into the skin crease. The skin and muscle are reflected down, and three fatty tissue pockets in the lower eyelid are opened and excess fatty tissue is removed. The skin and muscle are then repositioned and excess skin is removed. The incisions are closed with interrupted dissolvable sutures. Frequently special tape is used to support the lower eyelid area for a week after surgery. This not only helps to reduce the amount of swelling and bruising, but also allows and increased amount of extra skin to be removed more safely.
If the only problem in the lower eyelids is bagging secondary to excess fatty tissue, the laser can be used, with no external incision. In this case, the laser removed the fatty tissue from inside the eyelid with no incision on the outside of the eyelid. If excess fatty tissue has resulted in stretching of the lower eyelid skin, then both fatty tissue and skin need to be removed in the traditional blepharoplasty with an external incision.
Patients commonly will ask how long eyelid surgery lasts. Because the tissue is removed, one will always look better than they would have had they not had the surgery. Unfortunately, we continue to age, so there will always be changes in this area. We are fortunate that eyelid changes do not occur as rapidly after surgery as changes in other areas. While some individuals may require repeat surgery, we find that most people, whether they have surgery done at age 30, or at age 50, rarely have to have this procedure repeated. This appears to be due to the fact that the fatty tissues does not recur, and that the eye is located within the bony structure and appears to be protected somewhat by the gravitational and environmental effects of aging as contrasted with the cheeks, jowl and neck area, which may need tuck up procedures after a facelift.
Various types of chemical peels can be used to remove wrinkling in the eyelid area and provide an additional tightening effect to the skin. These are usually performed 3-4 months after the eyelid surgery. Various types of chemical peels can be used. Each type of peel varies in the degree of wrinkle removal and tightening that is obtained. Some provide an increased lightening effect to the skin in the eyelid area. A new development in recent years has been the use of laser abrasions to resurface or rejuvenate eyelid skin.
If you live in Carmel and are bothered by a “tired look” caused by increased laxity of skin, eyelid surgery can refresh your appearance. For more information on this procedure, we invite you to click here and check out our “Blepharoplasty for Carmel, Indiana Patients” page!
For more tips on how to look good and feel good, we invite you for click here and follow us on Facebook!