This article provided by Dr. Don Revis. For more information, or to schedule a consultation, please visit Dr. Revis online, or you may reach his office at 954-630-2009.

Blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery, is a surgical procedure designed to restore a youthful appearance to your eyes. The goal of eyelid surgery is to remove excess skin, muscle, and fat that may develop as a result of aging, gravity, and sun exposure. Eyelid surgery can remove this excess skin and puffy bags, but it will not remove crow's feet or dark circles from beneath your eyes. To accomplish these, several other procedures may be performed alone or in conjunction with your eyelid surgery. Depending on your individual circumstances and goals. you may choose to have your upper eyelids treated, your lower eyelids treated, or both your upper and lower eyelids treated.

Wrinkles, crow''s feet, and dark circles may be treated with Botox injections, laser resurfacing, or chemical peels. The reader is encouraged to read about these topics if you are concerned with these problems.

While blepharoplasty will address your concerns regarding your eyelids, it will not change the position of your eyebrows. Because drooping of the eyebrows often accompanies aging of the eyelids, eyelid surgery is also commonly performed with a lifting of the brow. If you feel you would be a good candidate for a brow lift, please read the article regarding brow lift surgery also authored by Dr. Revis.

If you are concerned about the appearance of your eyelids and would like to restore a more youthful appearance to your eyes, you might be a good candidate for eyelid surgery. This article will provide you with a basic understanding of the issues involved. However, it is extremely important to individualize treatment to your specific circumstances and goals, It is recommended that you visit a board certified plastic surgeon for a personal consultation.

The Consultation

During your initial consultation, the plastic surgeon will inquire about your medical history, prior procedures, medications, allergies, and your motivations for seeking plastic surgery. It is very important that you be thorough when providing your medical history, as this information helps to prevent complications during your care. When asked about medications, be sure to include any vitamin or herbal preparations, as these can affect your blood pressure and clotting ability. Honesty regarding your use of tobacco and alcohol is also very important, as these may have a profound impact on your recovery period and your ability to heal following your procedure.

After reviewing your medical history, your physician should discuss your concerns, priorities and motivations for pursuing plastic surgery, as well as your fears. After examining you, he or she will be able to offer advice and options to help you achieve the appearance you desire. He or she should also explain the advantages and disadvantages of the different options you have before you.

At the completion of your consultation, you likely will be given a written estimate of the cost of your procedure. At this time, you will also have the option to schedule your procedure if you so choose. The decision to undergo a procedure is a very important one, and the final decision should be given very careful consideration. At no time should you feel pressured to make a decision. You are also encouraged to bring your spouse, significant other, family member, or a friend to your consultation.

Where Your Procedure Will Be Performed

Sometimes you have a choice in the location of your surgery, whether in a hospital, ambulatory surgery center, or office surgery setting. Some surgeons prefer to perform the majority of their procedures in their own office surgery suites as a convenience to themselves and to save money. Others prefer to do only minor procedures in the office while performing major operations in a local hospital or ambulatory surgery center.

Any physician, regardless of his or her training, can open an office surgery suite, advertise as a plastic surgeon and perform plastic surgery on the unsuspecting public. Regulation of office surgery settings is currently voluntary and often substandard. New laws are being passed in an attempt to correct this potential problem. If you decide to have your surgery in an office surgery suite, choosing a physician who is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, who also has hospital privileges to perform the same procedure, and whose surgery suite is accredited, adds an additional level of quality assurance.

To obtain hospital privileges to perform a procedure, surgeons must provide proof of education, training, and experience. This provides an added level of assurance that the surgeon has been properly educated and trained. Avoid a surgeon who operates in his or her office but does not have hospital privileges to perform the same operation.

Type(s) of Anesthesia

Anesthesia is an essential part of any surgical procedure and must be performed safely. General anesthesia is the deepest form of anesthesia. You are asleep, feel no pain, and will not remember the procedure.

Deep intravenous sedation, called “twilight sleep,” is a combination of local anesthetic administered at the surgical site by your plastic surgeon and intravenous sedation administered by the anesthesiologist. You breathe for yourself, but you are in a deep sleep throughout the procedure. You should feel no pain, and you should not remember the procedure.

Your plastic surgeon should discuss these options with you more thoroughly at the time of your consultation, and please ask about anything you do not understand.

Details of the Procedure

Eyelid surgery usually takes one to one and a half hours to perform. After you are properly anesthetized, your plastic surgeon will make an incision in each eyelid to be treated. Depending on your needs, he will then carefully remove the necessary skin, muscle and fat that is associated with the appearance you wish to correct. After correcting the appearance of your eyelids, your incisions will be carefully closed to minimize your scar.

In some cases of fat bulging, or puffiness, you may need excess fat but no actual skin removed. In this situation, your incisions may be confined to the inside of the eyelids only, leaving you with no external incisions or scarring. Make sure you ask your plastic surgeon if you would be a candidate for this transconjunctival blepharoplasty approach.

At the completion of your procedures, antibiotic ointment specifically pH-balanced for your eyes is then applied to your incisions.

After Your Procedure

Eyelid surgery is usually performed as an outpatient procedure, unless you are having multiple procedures performed, such as a facelift or a brow lift. After recovering in the recovery room for approximately one hour, you will be able to go home in the company of a friend or family member. You should place ice packs over your eyes for the remainder of the day of your operation. Your plastic surgeon should show you the proper method for applying these ice packs.

You should plan to take it easy following your surgery. No strenuous activities, heavy lifting (over 20 pounds), aerobic exercises, swimming, contact sports, tennis, or golf should be planned for the first several weeks. As your plastic surgeon monitors your recovery, he or she will advise you when it is safe to resume specific activities.

Sutures in your eyelids will be removed four to five days following your surgery.

The Results You Can Expect

A moderate amount of swelling and bruising around the eyes can be expected following your surgery. After this subsides, you will discover your more youthful appearance. You should be able to resume your normal daily activities the day after surgery, and you should be able to resume all of your physical activities within two weeks of surgery.

This article provided by Dr. Don Revis. For more information, or to schedule a consultation, please visit Dr. Revis online, or you may reach his office at 954-630-2009.