Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Blepharoplasty Eyelid Surgery
Blepharoplasty Eyelid Surgery
Ima
ge
des
crip
Eyelidsurgery,orblepharoplasty,isatypeofsurgerythatalterstheappearanceoftheupper
eyelids,lowereyelidsorboth.Theaimistoimprovetheappearanceoftheareasurroundingthe
eyesandtoimprovevisionobscuredbydroopingeyelids.
Blepharoplastycanalter:
drapingskinthatobscuresorblocksyourvision
looseorsaggingskinthatcreatesfoldsordisturbsthenaturalcontouroftheuppereyelid
thiscansometimesaffectapersonsvision
excessfattydepositsthatappearaspuffinessbeneaththeeyelidskin
bagsundertheeyes
droopinessofthelowereyelidstoavoidshowingwhitebelowtheiris
extraskinandfinewrinklesofthelowereyelid.
Ifyouareconcernedaboutthewayyoulook,orarethinkingaboutcosmetictreatmentstoboost
yourconfidence,therearealternatives.Thesemayincludelifestylechangesorlearningtoaccept
yourselfthewayyouare.
Uppereyelidsurgeryisoftencarriedoutseparatelyfromlowereyelidsurgery.Beprepared
fortwoseparateoperations.
Blepharoplastycannotremovedarkcirclesundertheeyes,liftsaggingeyebrowsorgetrid
ofcrowsfeet.
Thinkaboutthefinancialcost.Cosmeticsurgerydoesnotusuallyqualifyforrebatesfrom
Medicareorprivatehealthinsurancecompanies.However,yourdoctorcanadviseifyour
conditionmatchesarelevantMBSitemdescriptorandisthereforecoveredbyMedicareand
privatehealthinsurers.Somecostsofblepharoplastymaybecoveredifitisperformedfor
medicalreasonsforexample,iftheeyelidsdrapeontotheeyelashesandblockyour
vision.Askyoursurgeonaboutanyout-of-pocketcostsyoucanexpect.VisitPrivateHealth
formoreinformationonprivatehealthinsurance.
Smokersareatincreasedriskofcomplications.Ifyouareseriousaboutundergoing
surgery,youshouldtrytoquitsmoking.
Physicalhealth anexaminationwillhelpyourdoctororsurgeontodecideifthetreatment
isappropriate.
Blepharoplasty(eyelidsurgery)
Page1of4
Medicalhistorysomepre-existingmedicalconditionsandsurgeryyouvehadinthepast
mayinfluencedecisionsaboutthisoperation,includingthetypeofanaestheticthatisused.
Inparticular,youmusttellyoursurgeonifyouhaveanyeyeconditionssuchasglaucoma,
dryeye,weteyeoradetachedretina,anythyroiddisorderssuchasGravesdiseaseand
underactiveoroveractivethyroid,anycardiovasculardisease,highbloodpressureorother
circulatorydisorders,orwhetheryouhavediabetes.
Eyeexam youmayneedtobeassessedbyanophthalmologist(eyespecialist)before
yoursurgery.
Risksandpossiblecomplicationsitisimportantthatyouunderstandtherisksand
complicationssothatyoucanweighupwhetherblepharoplastyisrightforyou
Medication tellyourdoctorandsurgeonaboutanymedicationthatyoutakeregularlyor
haverecentlytaken,includingover-the-counterpreparationslikefishoilsandvitamin
supplements.
Pastreactionstomedicationtellyourdoctorandsurgeonifyouhaveeverhadabad
reactionorasideeffectfromanymedicationincludinganaesthesia.
Preparationforsurgeryyoursurgeonwillgiveyoudetailedinstructionsonwhatyou
shoulddoathometoprepareforsurgery.Forexample,youmaybeadvisedtotakea
particularmedicationoralterthedoseofanexistingmedication.Followallinstructions
carefully.
Blepharoplasty operation
Youmayhavealocalanaestheticandsedation,orageneralanaesthetic.Yoursurgeonwilladvise
youonwhichisthebestoptionforyou.
Theoperationdiffersaccordingtothedetailsofthesurgery,butgenerally,thesurgeonwill:
makeanincision(cut)intheskinfoldacrosstheeyelid,totreatsaggingoftheupperlid
makeanincisioneitherjustbelowthelashesorontheinsideofthelowerlid(a
transconjunctivalincision)totreatthelowereyelid
removeexcessskin.excessfatisrepositionedorremoved
tightenunderlyingtissue(suchasmuscle)withsutures(stitches),ifrequired
attempttohideallincisionswithinnaturalskinfoldsandcreases
closeincisionswithstitches,surgicaltapeortissueglue.
mildpainordiscomfort
numbness
useofcoolcompresses,gauzeanddressingsovertheeyes
swellingandbruisingaroundtheeyes
possiblebruisingonthewhitesoftheeyes
asensationofwetordry,irritatedeyes
extremesensitivitytolight.
Complications of blepharoplasty
Allsurgerycarriessomedegreeofrisk.Someofthepossiblecomplicationsofblepharoplasty
include:
Blepharoplasty(eyelidsurgery)
Page2of4
risksofanaesthesiaincludingallergicreaction,which(rarely)maybefatal
surgicalriskssuchasbleedingorinfection
bloodclotsthatmaycausepotentiallyfatalcardiovascularcomplicationssuchasheart
attack,deepveinthrombosisorstroke
temporaryorpermanentareasofnumbness
temporarilyblurredorimpairedvision
dryorwateryeyes
difficultyclosingyoureyesforexample,theuppereyelidmayremainopenwhileyouare
asleep,whichcandryouttheeyesurfaceandcausescarring
lidlag,whichisapullingdownofthelowereyelidthatisoftentemporary
ectropion,whichisaslackandoutward-rollinglowereyelid
eyeliddisordersthatinvolveabnormalpositioningoftheuppereyelids(eyelidptosis)or
looseeyelidskinthesedisorderscancoexistwithsaggingforeheadandeyebrow
structures
thedevelopmentoflumpsinsidethelowereyelid,whichcanirritatetheeyesurface
sunkenorunnatural-lookingeyes,iftoomuchfatisremoved
inflamed,itchyscars
bleedingbehindtheeye
visionloss,includingcompleteblindness
furthersurgerytotreatcomplications.
Thisisnotacompletelist.Forexample,yourmedicalhistoryorlifestylemayputyouatincreased
riskofothercomplications.Youneedtospeaktoyoursurgeonformoreinformation.
Followallinstructionsonlookingafteryourwounds.Applytheeyeointmentasprescribed.
Expecttohavesorenessandswellingaroundtheeyeforafewweeks.
Avoidanytraumatotheeyesforexample,donotrubatthem.
Usecoolcompressestohelpmanageshort-termirritation,discomfortandsensationsof
dryness.
Protectyoureyesfromsunlightuntilthehealingprocessiscompletethisisvery
important.
Reportanybleeding,severepainorunusualsymptomstoyoursurgeon.
Alternatives to blepharoplasty
Therearenoothermedicalalternativestoblepharoplastythatcanrepositionorreshapethe
eyelids.Talkingtoacounsellororpsychologistmayhelpyouovercomeyourconcernsaboutyour
appearanceandyoumaydecidethatyoulikeyourselfthewayyouare.
Yourdoctor
AustralianSocietyofPlasticSurgeonsInformationHotlineTel.1300367446
RoyalAustralasianCollegeofSurgeonsTel.(03)92491200
Things to remember
Blepharoplasty(eyelidsurgery)
Page3of4
Eyelidsurgery,orblepharoplasty,aimstoimprovetheappearanceoftheuppereyelids,
lowereyelidsorboth.
Blepharoplastycannotliftsaggingeyebrowsorgetridofcrowsfeetordarkcircles.
Specificrisksofthesurgeryincludeabnormalpositioningoftheeyelids,bleedingbehind
theeyeandpermanentblindness.
Talkwithyoursurgeonabouttherisksandbenefitsofblepharoplastyandwhatresultsyou
canexpect.
This page has been produced in consultation with, and approved by:
AustralianSocietyofPlasticSurgeons
Contentonthiswebsiteisprovidedforeducationandinformationpurposesonly.Information
aboutatherapy,service,productortreatmentdoesnotimplyendorsementandisnotintendedto
replaceadvicefromyourdoctororotherregisteredhealthprofessional.Contenthasbeen
preparedforVictorianresidentsandwiderAustralianaudiences,andwasaccurateatthetimeof
publication.Readersshouldnotethat,overtime,currencyandcompletenessoftheinformation
maychange.Allusersareurgedtoalwaysseekadvicefromaregisteredhealthcareprofessional
fordiagnosisandanswerstotheirmedicalquestions.
Forthelatestupdatesandmoreinformation,visitwww.betterhealth.vic.gov.au
Copyight 1999/2015StateofVictoria.ReproducedfromtheBetterHealthChannel
(www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au)atnocostwithpermissionoftheVictorianMinisterforHealth.
Unauthorisedreproductionandotherusescomprisedinthecopyrightareprohibitedwithout
permission.
Blepharoplasty(eyelidsurgery)
Page4of4