Laser Blepharoplasty Vs. Surgery

A laser is simply a surgical tool. It is used to cut skin and coagulate blood vessels. Both can be done with various surgical instruments (scalpel or laser) equally well. It really depends on the type of tools your surgeon prefers to use. I would make your decision about which surgeon to choose based on which one you feel understands your goals and most specializes in this type of surgery. Ask to see before and after photos and speak to friends who have had the procedures, before you make your decision.

The most important tool in any facial plastic surgey procedure in the surgeon. His or her experience and results will be the deciding factor in your outcome and you don't want to base your decision on whether someone uses a laser or a scalpel to make the incision. Studies have shown that the results with the same person suturing up both a laser and scalpel incision are the same. Good luck.

Lower eyelid blepharoplasty can be performed from both the outside (transcutaneous) or inside (transconjunctival) of the eyelid. 99.9% of the 3000 cases I have performed as an Ocular Plastic Surgeon in Sterling Hieghts, Michigan have been transconjuctival. The advantage of my technique is: NO stitches, NO skin incision, and NO Scalpel blade. I perform the procedure with the MIXTO laser.
This carbon dioxide (CO2) laser allows me to gently remove the fullness (fat) from the inside of the eyelid. The beauty of this laser is that it stops bleeding as it removes this tissue, so the surgery is faster and my patients have less swelling (than traditional scalpel methods) and get back to work faster.
Instead of removing skin on the lower eyelids, which can leave a tell tale scar line underneath the lashes, I tighten the skin with the Mixto laser! The Mixto is phemomenal to resurface (refresh) the skin. Smoothing of the skin with the laser is a perfect accompaniment to lower eyelid surgery.
Both scalpel and laser techniques should have the same longevity. I find faster healing and better skin quality using the laser technique.

Great question. I think we as doctors use confusing terminology. "Laser blepharoplasty" can be referring to many aspects of the surgery. It may be just laser treatment of the skin in addition to blepharoplasty or just use of a laser to make the incision. I would make sure you clarify exactly what this means with your surgeon. I would not recommend paying any more if it is a "laser assisted" incision, as these incisions heal well no matter what device used (laser or scalpel). However, if laser is used to treat the skin as well, this is a nice addition to the surgery and can lead to better results in the right patients.
Hope this helps!Kyle Kimura, MDFacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

A Co2 laser can be used to make a skin incision like a scalpel. The main advantage is that it cauterizes as it cuts so it minimizes bleeding. So ultimately you may get less swelling and quicker recovery with the co2 laser.
In terms of final healing however, I don't think there is much difference between laser vs scalpel blepharoplasty. Both can give excellent results, it just depends which tool your surgeon is most comfortable with.

I do both procedures. Personally I prefer a scalpel but essentially these are just to ways of doing the same thing. It is similar to using a nail gun to put a piece of wood together or a hammer. It really matters what the worker is most comfortable with. The laser theoretically has less bleeding because it burns as it cuts but if the surgeon is comfortable with a scalpel then the results are essentially the same. The surgery should last the same with both techniques. Some surgeons will tighten the orbital septum with a laser during the blepharoplasty and that can increase the length of results. I only do that for a small group of patients though  it is for patients with minimal fat protrusion or displacement. Hope this helps.Best of luck,DrC

Thank you for your question Katya. When considering eyelid surgery, there are 3 main components that may require to be addressed. Firstly - excess skin and skin laxity can be apparent creating fine lines and wrinkles. Secondly the muscle town under the skin can be reduced creating the appearance of festoons and lastly the hermiation of fat deep to the muscle can create the appearance of lower eyelid fullness and bags. Patients suffer from these in various degrees, and it is important for the surgeon to assess all 3 components. Both surgical and laser treatments are recognised treatments for eyelid surgery but laser tends to address the superficial layer i.e the skin only. It can create some skin tightness to reduce the fine lines and wrinkles but will not address either the muscle or the fat. With surgery the incision is made under the eye lashes and into the crow's feet. This allows excess loose skin to be removed and it also provides access to re-drape the fat underneath and tighten the muscle of the lower eyelid, creating a more harmonious outcome and thus reducing the appearance of bags and fullness of the lower eye lid.Hope that helps and good luck.

Dear Katya,Thank you for your question.  Laser can be used to resurface skin, making the surface of the eyelids appear smoother and tighter.  This does not address other issues such as fat pockets that cause puffiness or loosening of the deeper structures of the eyelid.  Sometimes surgeons utilize a laser to perform the incisions for eyelid surgery, but in my opinion there is little benefit to doing so.  In my opinion, eyelid surgery using a scalpel is usually the best technique to give you the results you are seeking.  Only surgery can fully restructure the eyelids into a more youthful appearance.Aloha, Shim Ching, MD

A laser is simply a "light scalpel". Both techniques work well in the right hands. For best results select your surgeon wisely, far more important than you selecting the technique.Expert Eyelid surgeons include Board Certified Plastic Surgeons, Facial Plastic Surgeons (ENT), and ophthalmology. There is no such thing as a "eyelid fellowship". The most critical decision to be made in achieving the best plastic surgical result is picking the most experienced and talented, that is the best, plastic surgeon possible. Too often, patients choose a physician based on a catchy ad, the brand name of a technique, the basis of one or two before and after photos, or their web site’s search engine ranking. These criteria will not find the most experienced and talented plastic surgeon. See the below link on how I would research the identity of the best plastic surgeon for your eyelid surgery.#BestBlepharoplastySurgeon#LaserVsScalpelBlepharoplasty

There are many devices on the market which can be used to assist blepharoplasty. They are all effective and give good results. It is more important to have a good surgeon perform the operation. The instrument your physician feels most comfortable using is the right one in his hands. Good luck. 

Upper blepharoplasty, also known as eyelid lift surgery,
helps improve the shape of the eyelids by rejuvenating their appearance. The
surgical technique conventionally
uses a scalpel to remove skin and
soft tissues and additional instruments to reduce bleeding and swelling. Laser blepharoplasty technique uses
laser to remove skin and soft tissues, it has the benefit of as it cuts it
immediately stops bleeding thus offer patients benefit of less bruising and swelling after surgery. Many
surgeons do not have access to such a laser and are not able to offer laser
blepharoplasty to their patients. In addition to the surgical devise,
blepharoplasty is a delicate surgery and should be tailored to the individual
dependent on your individual eyelid changes and facial ageing.  As important as the surgical technique is the Assessment of the eyelids is important to exclude other factors that may be influencing the position of the upper eyelids including ptosis, dry eyes, thyroid eye disease. Ptosis is a condition where the fine muscle that elevated the eyelid has become weak or detached and this requires a ptosis correction surgery to improve. Dry eyes and patients who have undergone previous laser refractive surgery should have an evaluation to exclude dry eyes before considering upper eyelid surgery.