Blepharoplasty is an operation to give a more youthful appearance to the eyelids. The upper eyelid often has an excess of skin as we age, and so an upper eyelid blepharoplasty is often done to remove this excess skin.
A lower blepharoplasty more often deals with patients who have "bags" under their eyes. These bags are usually caused by excess fat around the eye which is visible in the lower eyelid. In lower blepharoplasty, the fat is either trimmed or moved to reduce the visible bags and then sometimes a very small amount of excess skin is trimmed away. Upper eyelid surgery can be done under local or under general anaesthetic. Lower eyelid surgery is performed under general anaesthetic.
The procedure usually takes an hour. Risks include infection, scar, bleeding, bruising, and eye irritation which usually settles with time. Postoperative swelling usually settles within a few weeks but very occasionally it can take longer than this.
Blepharoplasty
Time Scale
Most patients can go home the same day as the procedure. You will be seen in the follow-up clinic by Mr Marlborough after 1 week for suture removal, and then again at 2 weeks, 6 weeks and 6 months.
