|
|  |
|
Eyelid Surgery - Chicago Plastic Surgery
Are you considering eyelid surgery?
Eyelid surgery (technically called blepharoplasty) is a procedure performed by Chicago plastic surgeons to
remove fat--usually along with excess skin and muscle from the upper and lower eyelids.
Search Chicago plastic surgeons performing eyelid surgery.
Eyelid surgery can correct drooping upper lids and puffy bags below your eyes - features that make you look
older and more tired than you feel, and may even interfere with your vision. However, it won't remove crow's
feet or other wrinkles, eliminate dark circles under your eyes, or lift sagging eyebrows.
While it can add an upper eyelid crease to Asian eyes, it will not erase evidence of your ethnic or racial
heritage. Blepharoplasty can be done alone, or in conjunction with other facial surgery procedures such as
a facelift or browlift.
If you're considering eyelid surgery, this information will give you a basic understanding of the procedure
when it can help, how it's performed, and what results you can expect. It can't answer all of your questions,
since a lot depends on the individual patient and the surgeon. Please ask your Chicago plastic surgeon about
anything you don't understand.
The best candidates for eyelid surgery
Blepharoplasty can enhance your appearance and your self-confidence, but it won't necessarily change
your looks to match your ideal, or cause other people to treat you differently. Before you decide to
have surgery, think carefully about your expectations and discuss them with your Chicago surgeon.
The best candidates for eyelid surgery are men and women who are physically healthy, psychologically stable,
and realistic in their expectations. Most are 35 or older, but if droopy, baggy eyelids run in your family,
you may decide to have eyelid surgery at a younger age.
A few medical conditions make blepharoplasty more risky. They include thyroid problems such as hypothyroidism
and Graves' disease, dry eye or lack of sufficient tears, high blood pressure or other circulatory disorders,
cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. A detached retina or glaucoma is also reason for caution; check with
your ophthalmologist before you have surgery.
Potential risks of eyelid surgery
When eyelid surgery is performed by a qualified Chicago plastic surgeon, complications are infrequent
and usually minor. Nevertheless, there is always a possibility of complications, including infection or
a reaction to the anesthesia. You can reduce your risks by closely following your surgeon's instructions
both before and after surgery.
The minor complications that occasionally follow blepharoplasty include double or blurred vision for a few
days; temporary swelling at the corner of the eyelids; and a slight asymmetry in healing or scarring. Tiny
whiteheads may appear after your stitches are taken out; your surgeon can remove them easily with a very
fine needle.
Following surgery, some patients may have difficulty closing their eyes when they sleep; in rare cases
this condition may be permanent. Another very rare complication is ectropion, a pulling down of the lower
lids. In this case, further surgery may be required.
Planning your eyelid surgery in Chicago
The initial consultation with your Chicago plastic surgeon is very important. The surgeon will need your
complete medical history, so check your own records ahead of time and be ready to provide this information.
Be sure to inform your surgeon if you have any allergies; if you're taking any vitamins, medications
prescription or over-the-counter), or other drugs; and if you smoke.
In this consultation, your surgeon or a nurse will test your vision and assess your tear production. You
should also provide any relevant information from your ophthalmologist or the record of your most recent
eye exam. If you wear glasses or contact lenses, be sure to bring them along.
You and your Chicago plastic surgeon should carefully discuss your goals and expectations for this surgery.
You'll need to discuss whether to do all four eyelids or just the upper or lower ones, whether skin as well
as fat will be removed, and whether any additional procedures are appropriate.
Your Chicago plastic surgeon will explain the techniques and anesthesia he or she will use, the type of
facility where the surgery will be performed, and the risks and costs involved. (Note: Most insurance policies
don't cover eyelid surgery, unless you can prove that drooping upper lids interfere with your vision. Check
with your insurer.)
Don't hesitate to ask your doctor any questions you may have, especially those regarding your expectations
and concerns about the results.
Preparing for eyelid surgery in Chicago
Your Chicago plastic surgeon will give you specific instructions on how to prepare for surgery, including
guidelines on eating and drinking, smoking, and taking or avoiding certain vitamins and medications.
Carefully following these instructions will help your surgery go more smoothly.
While you're making preparations, be sure to arrange for someone to drive you home after your surgery, and
to help you out for a few days if needed.
Types of anesthesia used when performing eyelid surgery
Eyelid surgery is usually performed under local anesthesia--which numbs the area around your eyes--along
with oral or intravenous sedatives. You'll be awake during the surgery, but relaxed and insensitive to pain.
(However, you may feel some tugging or occasional discomfort.) Some surgeons prefer to use general anesthesia;
in that case, you'll sleep through the operation.
The eyelid surgery itself
Blepharoplasty usually takes one to three hours, depending on the extent of the surgery. If you're having
all four eyelids done, the Chicago plastic surgeon will probably work on the upper lids first, then the
lower ones.
In a typical procedure, the surgeon makes incisions following the natural lines of your eyelids; in the
creases of your upper lids, and just below the lashes in the lower lids. The incisions may extend into
the crow's feet or laugh lines at the outer corners of your eyes. Working through these incisions, the
surgeon separates the skin from underlying fatty tissue and muscle, removes excess fat, and often trims
sagging skin and muscle. The incisions are then closed with very fine sutures.
If you have a pocket of fat beneath your lower eyelids but don't need to have any skin removed, your
surgeon may perform a transconjunctival blepharoplasty. In this procedure the incision is made inside
your lower eyelid, leaving no visible scar. It is usually performed on younger patients with thicker,
more elastic skin.
After your eyelid surgery
After surgery, the surgeon will probably lubricate your eyes with ointment and may apply a bandage. Your
eyelids may feel tight and sore as the anesthesia wears off, but you can control any discomfort with the
pain medication prescribed by your surgeon. If you feel any severe pain, call your surgeon immediately.
Your Chicago plastic surgeon will instruct you to keep your head elevated for several days, and to use cold
compresses to reduce swelling and bruising. (Bruising varies from person to person: it reaches its peak during
the first week, and generally lasts anywhere from two weeks to a month.) You'll be shown how to clean your eyes,
which may be gummy for a week or so. Many doctors recommend eyedrops, since your eyelids may feel dry at first
and your eyes may burn or itch. For the first few weeks you may also experience excessive tearing, sensitivity
to light, and temporary changes in your eyesight, such as blurring or double vision.
Your surgeon will follow your progress very closely for the first week or two. The stitches will be removed two
days to a week after surgery. Once they're out, the swelling and discoloration around your eyes will gradually
subside, and you'll start to look and feel much better.
Getting back to normal after eyelid surgery
You should be able to read or watch television after two or three days. However, you won't be able to wear
contact lenses for about two weeks, and even then they may feel uncomfortable for a while.
Most people feel ready to go out in public (and back to work) in a week to 10 days. By then, depending on your
rate of healing and your doctor's instructions, you'll probably be able to wear makeup to hide the bruising that
remains. You may be sensitive to sunlight, wind, and other irritants for several weeks, so you should wear
sunglasses and a special sunblock made for eyelids when you go out.
Your Chicago plastic surgeon will probably tell you to keep your activities to a minimum for three to five days,
and to avoid more strenuous activities for about three weeks. It's especially important to avoid activities that
raise your blood pressure, including bending, lifting, and rigorous sports. You may also be told to avoid
alcohol, since it causes fluid retention.
Your new look - post eyelid surgery in Chicago, IL
Healing is a gradual process, and your scars may remain slightly pink for six months or more after surgery.
Eventually, though, they'll fade to a thin, nearly invisible white line.
On the other hand, the positive results of your eyelid surgery-the more alert and youthful look-will last
for years. For many people, these results are permanent.
Reference: American Society of Plastic Surgeons
|
|
|
|
