What Is Lower Blepharoplasty?

Blepharoplasty is a procedure whose aim is to reconstruct the upper or lower part of the eyelids. The procedure concentrates on the lower areas below eyes to reduce the eye bags caused by the excess skin. Through blepharoplasty, the extra skin is repositioned or removed, extra fat removed or added, and the muscles below the eyes are tightened or lifted. Lower blepharoplasty is an effective surgical operation for both males and females.

Why People Go for Lower Blepharoplasty

Lower blepharoplasty is a procedure for correcting saggy and bulging lower eyelids caused by natural aging effects like too much skin, fat accumulation, or retention of water.

Lower blepharoplasty is carried out by a plastic surgeon with a wealth of experience in the field. This procedure can help men and women with puffy eyelids. Once the surgery is performed, the eyelid bags reclaim their youthful appearance.

The Procedure

You can have blepharoplasty on your lower eyelids, upper eyelids, or both simultaneously. During the surgical operation, a surgeon makes incisions on the eyelids’ natural folds, in the upper eyelid’s crease, and below the lashes or at the back of the lower eyelid. That is the reason why the cuts are not noticeable once they heal.

You will be requested to lie down during the surgery. The surgeon will then mark the exact areas where the extra skin and fat pads require removal. Some muscles below the eyelids may also need to be removed.

The surgeon removes these tissues using surgical equipment like surgical scissors, scalpels, radio-frequency cutting tools, and at times cutting lasers. The specialist then applies sutures or glue on the regions on the eyelids and eyebrows. In the course of the procedure, your surgeon establishes the amount of skin or fat to be removed depending on the preoperative assessment of factors like the structure of your facial muscle, eyebrow symmetry, and the structure of your bone. 

Patients with dry eyes mostly need less tissue removal to prevent more eye exposure to the air, which may worsen the symptoms. Your surgeon may also improve the procedure using a carbon dioxide laser. This is to resurface skin and reduce the appearance of the outstanding wrinkles in the eyebrow and eyelid part. People with droopy eyebrows may need brow lift procedure to lift the eyebrows. During the procedure, incisions are made into the scalp and the skin is tightened to raise the eyebrows.

Recovering from Blepharoplasty

After the eye lift surgery, a topical antibiotic cream is applied on the surgery site, excluding the eye patches. Apply cold compressions every hour that you aren’t asleep for around 10 to 15 minutes on the first day following the operation. The ice will minimize both the swelling and bruising. Two days following the procedure, apply cold compressions after a couple of hours for around 10 to 15 minutes. You will get directions from your doctor concerning the pain medication that you should take, if necessary.

You may feel a slight discomfort in the course of your immediate healing period. However, contact your surgeon as soon as you experience severe pain or sight changes.

As you heal, your eye region will redden and become bruised and swollen, especially during the initial few days. Your sclera may be reddened as well as bloodshot. You may recover fully after a few weeks and you should avoid wearing makeup during the recovery period. You can start wearing contact lenses again after the swelling reduces if you feel comfortable putting them on. You can carefully put on eyeglasses any time after the operation. 

Sutures used for the operation normally dissolve on their own after a few days and so there’s no need for their removal. However, non-dissolving sutures will require to be removed by your surgeon around seven days after the operation.

The majority of people who go through eyelid surgical operation say that they feel satisfied and their self-esteem improved after the procedure. People whose extra crease of skin hindered their sight usually report improved vision after the operation.

Adverse Effects

The following may be temporarily present after eyelid surgery:

• Puffy and sensitive eyelids
• Watery, irritated, or sensitive eyes
• Bruising resembling a black eye
• Pink scarring 

Risks

Eyelid surgery can sometimes cause: 

• Temporary fuzzy or double sight
• Slightly asymmetrical eyes
• Accumulation of blood beneath the skin
• Visible scars

In rare cases, the surgery can cause more serious issues such as:

• Injured eye muscles
• Sagging lower eyelid and turning outwards
• Eyelid retraction
• Sightlessness

Just like any other operation type, blepharoplasty has a chance of causing:

• Too much bleeding
• Blood clot in a vein
• Infections
• Allergy to anesthetic medication

How to Prepare for Blepharoplasty Procedure

You’ll require clarification from your physician whether you will be under general or local anesthesia during the surgery. You may need general anesthesia in case the procedure is more complex or if you intend to have other cosmetic procedures simultaneously.

In case you require general anesthesia, you’ll be administered intravenous (IV) injection which will make you fall and remain asleep during the procedure period. The length of the procedure normally ranges from 20 to 120 minutes. The duration of the procedure is influenced by the complexity of the operation and the type of eyelids involved.

Before the procedure day and especially in the case of anesthesia, you may be required to:

• Avoid taking blood thinning medication or drugs which can hinder normal blood clotting. Such medications comprise of pain-reducing drugs like ibuprofen and aspirin. 
• Avoid heavy meals on the evening prior to your operation.
• Avoid eating or drinking anything past midnight.
• On the morning of your surgery day, ensure that you take necessary medications by sipping small amount of water.
• Avoid wearing makeup on the procedure day.

Organize to have a person who’s ready to accompany you on your way home and look after you during the initial few hours after the surgical operation.  

Possible Negative Effects and Solutions

At times, cosmetic surgery may not go well and may lead to undesirable results.

Ensure that you immediately contact the health facility where the surgery was performed if you experience severe pain or any unforeseen symptoms. You should talk to your surgeon if you find the results of the procedure unpleasant or if you suspect that the surgery wasn’t done correctly.

The cost of Eyelid Surgery

The cost of undergoing blepharoplasty differs depending on:

• The patient’s country
• The surgery specialist
• The subspecialty of the surgeon
• The size of the eyelid surgery required
• The facility where the operation is carried out

A simple procedure like correcting your two upper eyelids without fat removal will cost you around $ 2,000. However, a more complex procedure like an operation on all four eyelids and excess fat removal will cost you roughly $5,000.

These figures include the approximates of surgeon’s fees only. You will also be required to pay for ambulatory surgery facility charges or other official charges which can be from $800 to $2,000 for every operation.

Your private health insurance or Medicare will clear a large amount of the procedure’s cost if you are going through a functional blepharoplasty. Some insurance companies may need early authorization prior to proceeding with the operation. Nevertheless, medical insurance companies pay for rare cases of cosmetic surgery.