What does the treatment involve?
Blepharoplasty is the periocular cosmetic surgery par excellence. It ia the third most common surgery in the world, which indicates its level of demand. It is a procedure perfomed on the upper or lower eyelids or all four eyelids in one single surgical session, depending on the patient's needs. It is a surgery that should be highly tailored to each individual, as the requirements and effects on each patient are unique and diverse.
When is this treatment indicated?
The large majority of the time, this procedure is indicated for aesthetic reasons. However, it is true that there are patients experiencing changes to their appearance due to excess skin in the upper eyelids. These cases are rarer.
Before getting to this stage, patients undergo the procedure because of tired eyes, ageing or the desire to rejuvenate their apperance. That's why, in these cases, it is vitally important to have a calm and collected conversation with your specialist to find out which treatment options exist, and agree on which would be the most appropriate for each case.
How is it performed?
This point clearly describes the difference between an upper eyelid belpharoplasty and a lower eyelid blepharoplasty. In the upper eyelid surgery, the fundamental part is the excess of skin, i.e. its removal. An accumulation of fat does not normally exist in the upper eyelids, although when it appears in the nasal area it should be removed as it stands out, cosmetically speaking.
A change to the lower eyelids is based on an excess of fat, those well known "bags under the eyes". In this case, surgery focuses on managing the fat, both its extraction and relocation to areas where it is not irritating, but rather necessary. In the majority of cases, this surgery is approached from the inside of the eyelid, the conjunctiva, to avoid making incisions in the skin, and so as there are no visible post-surgery marks left. In patients with a significant excess of skin around the lower eyelid, we combine techniques without affecting the stability of the eyelid.
Results
Blepharoplasty is a cosmetic procedure with excellent results in general. As it is not so functional and is very cosmetic, the patient should be offered as much information as possible in advance. There are no magic results, but it gives obvious improvements in the aesthetic appearance, including drastic changes. However, in no case should they be confused with unrealistic outcomes nor should you have false expectations.
Patients who see a specialist to improve their appearance and rejuvenate their look manage to do so—and in extremely high percentages too—but these patients must be very well informed and looked after.
Possible risks
The most common risk of blepharoplasty is not meeting the patient's expectations. This is no more than a result of poor or little information. A well informed patient who knows what to expect of the blepharoplasty will almost certainly be a satisfied patient.