I'm only 28, but all my life I have hated my hereditary undereye bags - thanks Dad! I think I am ready to take action, but I am extremely nervous. One of the doctors I consulted with spoke against simply "repositioning" the fat because "it doesn't tend to stay where you put it"... not sure of the truth of this. My main concern is that he will not be conservative enough and too much fat will be removed, eventually giving me a hollow look... either soon after the surgery or as I age.
May 21, 2015
Answer: Lower eyelid bags -- transconjuctival A transconjunctival approach is a very good option for you. Even at a young age you know that you are unhappy with the appearance of your lower eyelids and the issues from protruding fat, and you realize that it is a problem that is not going to go away. With that in mind, considering surgery at this stage is appropriate.I prefer transconjuctival approaches for addressing the lower lid fat, especially in a younger patient.For your concern about fat repositioning vs. fat removal without repositioning you really can go either way. Both are done through a transconjunctival incision.I agree with you that it is imperative for your surgeon to be conservative with fat removal if performing a more classic procedure without fat repositioning. I think this is a good option though.In cases of a younger patient like yourself, I often will have a long discussion with the patient about being very conservative with the fat removal then planning to possibly come back a few months later and touch things up with some filler in the tear trough area. That is not always necessary, but it's kind of like the icing on the cake when you have a young attractive patient without much else going on such as loose wrinkled eyelid skin.Fat repositioning is a good option as well. The argument against it that you have already heard is that the placement of the fat and keeping it there as things heal can be somewhat imprecise and not completely reliable. However, many surgeons have good consistent results with that technique, and it has the benefit of providing a nice smooth transition from the eyelid to the upper cheek.
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May 21, 2015
Answer: Lower eyelid bags -- transconjuctival A transconjunctival approach is a very good option for you. Even at a young age you know that you are unhappy with the appearance of your lower eyelids and the issues from protruding fat, and you realize that it is a problem that is not going to go away. With that in mind, considering surgery at this stage is appropriate.I prefer transconjuctival approaches for addressing the lower lid fat, especially in a younger patient.For your concern about fat repositioning vs. fat removal without repositioning you really can go either way. Both are done through a transconjunctival incision.I agree with you that it is imperative for your surgeon to be conservative with fat removal if performing a more classic procedure without fat repositioning. I think this is a good option though.In cases of a younger patient like yourself, I often will have a long discussion with the patient about being very conservative with the fat removal then planning to possibly come back a few months later and touch things up with some filler in the tear trough area. That is not always necessary, but it's kind of like the icing on the cake when you have a young attractive patient without much else going on such as loose wrinkled eyelid skin.Fat repositioning is a good option as well. The argument against it that you have already heard is that the placement of the fat and keeping it there as things heal can be somewhat imprecise and not completely reliable. However, many surgeons have good consistent results with that technique, and it has the benefit of providing a nice smooth transition from the eyelid to the upper cheek.
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May 20, 2015
Answer: Transconjunctival Fat Removal Versus Repositioning Your concerns are valid but you have missed a subtle point in that your "herniated" fat is not symmetrical and it appears that the lateral compartment of the lower eyelid fat is in a normal position. Depending upon the thickness of your skin and the depth of the groove under the fat you could consider:doing nothing, repositioning the fat below, removing some (careful) excess fat or putting the fat back to it's previous positioning by tightening the septumBest of luckCap Lesesne,MD
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May 20, 2015
Answer: Transconjunctival Fat Removal Versus Repositioning Your concerns are valid but you have missed a subtle point in that your "herniated" fat is not symmetrical and it appears that the lateral compartment of the lower eyelid fat is in a normal position. Depending upon the thickness of your skin and the depth of the groove under the fat you could consider:doing nothing, repositioning the fat below, removing some (careful) excess fat or putting the fat back to it's previous positioning by tightening the septumBest of luckCap Lesesne,MD
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