• Video
  • Should I Get My Eyes Done? Here's What You Need To Know About Blepharoplasty
{{ showTranscript ? 'HIDE' : 'SHOW' }} TRANSCRIPT
Eyelid surgery is very common surgery, and we perform in various age groups depending on need.

In younger patients such as 30 to 40-year-old women and men alike often notice a fine roll of extra tissue on the upper lids or hooding that cause them to look a little older and tired. And removing a little bit of extra tissue in those patients brightens the eyes.

As we progress with age, you might see other signs of aging like bagging of the lower lids. So smoothing the lower lid bags to the cheek making it look smoother and more of a contour as opposed to lumpiness and age really helps someone's appearance in their periocular area.

It depends on the person. Some patients come in at age 50 and 60, and have a lot of extra tissue, but don't want anything done yet. And so my goal is listen to the patient, and we want to achieve a natural look and to really give the patient what they want and what they need at the same time.

As you progress later in life, patients that are 70s and 80s often have obstructive problems with their vision and they come in for a different reason. They come in because the lids are heavy and they have dermatochalasis or heavy hooding of the skin over the lash line obstructing their peripheral vision. And removing some of the extra skin from the upper lid really helps to freshen up the lid. In a woman, that might give a platform to apply makeup again but it helps their peripheral vision.

Those surgeries for upper lids are very, very nice to do because it would take about 15 minutes whether we're doing them in a young person or an old, and it's done in our surgery center under IV sedation. Once the IV goes in the arm, it's painless. The person doesn't remember or feel it.

People are afraid if anesthesias are going to hurt. You really should have no pain either during or after surgery. It's not to say you won't have black and blue, but you'll have some bruising. After the anesthesia is given intravenously, I inject a numbing medicine. The tissue is removed conservatively so the patient looks good but could still close their eyes, and that's measured out. And then I put very fine sutures in to close the wound, and that gives a very, very nice crease incision which goes really over the lid crease itself and hides very well in the fold of the lid. The sutures are there for a week.

You do have to rest for about a week and take it easy, so that means no golf, no tennis, no yoga, Pilates for about a week. Afterwards, you're using an antibiotic ointment three times a day and take it easy for about two or three weeks after. [Inaudible 00:02:35] like to prevent sun damage, so we have folks wear sun glasses too.

Should I Get My Eyes Done? Here's What You Need To Know About Blepharoplasty

Sagging, creping, even obstructive eyelids could mean it's time for a blepharoplasty, commonly known as an eyelid lift. Dr. John Fezza tells us all about this procedure from the pain expectations to recovery.