|
Blepharoplasty usually takes one to three hours, depending on
the extent of the surgery. If you're having all four eyelids
done, the surgeon will probably work on the upper lids first,
then the lower ones.
In a typical procedure, the surgeon makes incisions following
the natural lines of your eyelids; in the creases of your upper
lids, and just below the lashes in the lower lids. The incisions
may extend into the crow's feet or laugh lines at the outer
corners of your eyes. Working through these incisions, the
surgeon separates the skin from underlying fatty tissue and
muscle, removes excess fat, and often trims sagging skin and
muscle. The incisions are then closed with very fine sutures.
If you have a pocket of fat beneath your lower eyelids but don't
need to have any skin removed, your surgeon may perform a
transconjunctival blepharoplasty. In this procedure the incision
is made inside your lower eyelid, leaving no visible scar. It is
usually performed on younger patients with thicker, more elastic
skin.
Healing is a gradual process, and your scars may remain
slightly pink for six months or more after surgery. Eventually,
though, they'll fade to a thin, nearly invisible white line.
On the other hand, the positive results of your eyelid surgery-the
more alert and youthful look-will last for years. For many
people, these results are permanent.
|