Safe Professional Cosmetic Eyelid Surgery & Blepharoplasty in Birmingham, West Midlands, UK
Why have a blepharoplasty?
There are two reasons why patients undergo blepharoplasty surgery: for functional reasons or for cosmetic reasons.
- Functional reasons: In some patients the hooding of their eyelids is so severe that their peripheral vision becomes compromised. Commonly in these patients, they have to exert a lot of overaction of their forehead muscles in an attempt to lift their eyelids out of the way. In these patients with functional problems, upper eyelid blepharoplasty surgery can be performed on the NHS and funded by private medical insurance schemes since it is deemed that their surgery is not purely for cosmetic improvement. For similar reasons, some patients can be funded to undergo, lower eyelid blepharoplasty for rehabilitative purposes.
- Cosmetic reasons: The appearance of someone’s eyes are central to facial expression. Patients therefore request blepharoplasty surgery to not only improve their appearance and but also their self confidence. After blepharoplasty, patients often remark that they look less tired, more youthful and feel happier in themselves accordingly.
Before
(Left) and After (Right) Pictures of Bilateral Upper Lid
Blepharoplasty
Before (left) and after (right) blepharoplasty surgery to both upper lids
Before (left) and after (right) blepharoplasty surgery to both lower eyelids
Preoperative picture showing dermatochalasis (hooding of the upper lids) & loss of upper lid show. This lady wanted a blepharoplasty because she was unable to wear eyeshadow. She also felt that the her hooded lids gave the impression of sternness.
How is blepharoplasty performed?
Prior to any surgery, the surgeon should discuss with you what you wish to achieve, what is safely achievable and the risks and benefits of surgery. At the end of the consultation, the surgeon should be able to develop a surgical plan for that particular patient. Each patient is an individual, and the surgical plan reflects this.
Upper eyelid blepharoplasty is performed commonly as a daycase procedure. Much like the word ‘haircut’, the term blepharoplasty describes refashioning of the eyelid in general. The procedure itself will have slight variations depending on the patient. Because oculoplastic surgeons perform more eyelid operations than any other type of surgeon, they are more equipped to offer the full repertoire of techniques to address different variations in patient anatomy.
For upper lid blepharoplasty, the surgeons will draw some marks the upper eyelid. Surgery can be performed using either general anaesthetic or local anaesthetic. The vast majority of patients opt for local anaesthesia since its is quicker and very acceptable. Sometimes the anaesthetist may administer some sedation through a vein in the back of the hand to make relax the patient further. Removal of the excess skin is then performed using either a scalpel, carbon dioxide laser, or radiofrequency cutting. For those patients with bulging fat in the upper eyelid, the fat is then either sculpted away or repositioned. An oculoplastic surgeon can then perform any additional procedures as necessary , for example, correcting a droopy eyelid with eyelid ptosis surgery, resuspending a prolapsed tear gland, debulking of any prolapsing orbital fat. The wound is then closed with sutures. Although their removal is required, non-dissolvable sutures may be used, because of their more predictable cosmetic result.
Lower eyelid blepharoplasty is performed slightly differently to upper lid blepharoplasty. Again, depending on the nature of the cosmetic defect, different techniques may be used. For example:
-For patients with eyelid bags (eyebags) due to bulging fat and excess skin causing wrinkles, the incision can be made in the skin just below the eyelash line so that the excess skin can be removed after the excess fat is addressed first.
-In those patients where skin excess is not an issue and the only problem is eyelid bags due to bulging orbital fat, the incision can be made along the inside of the lower eyelid and the fat sculpted away, resulting in sutureless scarless surgery.
Lower eyelid blepharoplasty is technically more challenging than upper eyelid blepharoplasty due to its slimmer margin for error. Eyelid malposition and other unfavourable results are more common if performed incorrectly. For this reason, many plastic surgeons only perform upper eyelid blepharoplasty.
Again, the surgery performed will be individual to that patient. For example, eyelid tendons may need to be tightened, the bulging fat may be excised or redistributed, the midface/cheek may be lifted, some of the wrinkles may be removed, the hollows underneath the eyelids may be softened and filled.
4 days after bilateral upper lid blepharoplasty and skin crease refashioning. Lid swelling is moderate. Fine sutures hold the incision together temporarily. The incision line becomes the new skin crease.
Before
(left) and after (right) pictures of blepharoplasty surgery to both
upper and lower eyelidsNext>>