Eyelid Surgery
About Eyelid Surgery in New York
What does the operation involve?
On the upper eyelids the incision is carried out in the natural crease line that occurs approximately 1 cm above the eyelashes. The incisions may extend into the crow's feet or laughter lines at the outer corners of your eyes. Surgery here is designed to correct both the excess skin and the excess fat. After making the incisions, the excess skin and muscle is trimmed from the upper eyelids together with any fat, which is usually present on the area adjacent to the sides of the nose. The incisions are then closed with very fine sutures.
On the lower eyelids, the technique very much depends on the patient's individual circumstance and requirements. Therefore if the problem is mainly prominent lower bags without excessively loose skin, you may have what is termed as a transconjuctival blepharoplasty. In this procedure the incision is made inside your lower eyelid, leaving no visible scar. Alternatively, when loose skin needs to be trimmed, the incision starts underneath the eyelashes and extends 1 cm or so outwards into the crow's feet area. The skin is then lifted upwards and outwards, gently tensioning the area and overlapping skin removed. Before suturing, any bleeding points are meticulously stopped.
What type of anesthetic is used?
Eyelid surgery is performed using either local or general anesthesia depending on the extent of surgery. In the former, the skin around your eyes will be numbed using an injection. This is usually accompanied by some intravenous sedation to make you feel relaxed and insensitive to pain. In the case of a general anesthetic you will be completely asleep. The type of anesthetic suitable for you will be discussed at the time of the consultation.
Whether the decision is for a local or a general anesthetic, it is most commonly performed on an outpatient basis.
How long does it take?
Blepharoplasty usually takes between 45 and 90 minutes depending on the extent of surgery.