Blepharoplasty - With Eyes Wide Open

by Kevin Pederson

As you grow older, your eyelids begin to stretch and the muscles that support them become weaker. Deposits of fat may accumulate above and below your eyelids, causing problems such as under-eye bags, sagging eyebrows and drooping eyelids. An eyelid that droops not only makes you look older, but can also interfere with your peripheral vision. Fortunately, you can opt for an eyelift, more commonly known as a Blepharoplasty to rectify this problem. This is a surgical procedure in which a droopy eyelid is repaired. Scary though it may sound, an eyelift is carried out while you are wide awake.

Before the eyelift operation begins your surgeon will inject some numbing medication around the eyes, so that you do not experience any pain. In case you are nervous about the surgery, your doctor may also give you some medicine to relieve your anxiety. Once the area has turned numb, your surgeon will –
  • Make a few small incisions into the folds or the creases of your eyes
  • Remove the extra fat tissue and lose skin in the area 
  • Tighten the eyelid muscles 
  • Place stitches in the area
The Blepharoplasty is generally conducted at a surgeon’s clinic or as an outpatient surgery at a medical facility.

You will probably be allowed to go home on the same day, a few hours after the surgery is over. However, before you leave your eyes and eyelids will be covered with a bandage and some ointment.

As the numbing medication wears off, you will feel some soreness and tightness around your eyes. However, this discomfort can be alleviated with the help of pain relievers.

You may not be able to see properly for around 3 days or so after the surgery. However, you should not wear contact lenses for the next 2 to 3 weeks. It is also important that during this recovery phase you avoid any strenuous activity that could increase your blood pressure.

The stitches are generally removed around 2 to 7 days post-surgery, after which there could be some bruising for a couple of weeks. Some of the other risks or complications that are associated with the Blepharoplasty include –
  • Bleeding
  • Infections 
  • Increase in the production of tears 
  • Higher sensitivity to wind and light 
  • Blurring, double vision or other vision changes
The pink scars of the surgery may be visible for around 6 months or more, but they will later fade to a thin, white line that will not be noticible.

The results of a Blepharoplasty are permanent for most people; the youthful and alert look should last you for years.

References
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002977.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/blepharoplasty/MY00298

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.


Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.
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