Does the Muscle in Back of Lid Have to Be Cut During Eyelid Surgery?

Each person needs to be evaluated as in individual. Some only have extra skin in their eyelids to be removed. Some have extra fat,while others need their own extra "fat pads" moved to an adjacent area. Third, the muscles should be preserved but sometimes trimmed. The results should last 10 years or more and make you look more youthful and less tired. I suggest you seek out a specialist in facial surgery to determine what is best for you.

No, the muscle does not always need to be cut. Many plastic surgeons take only skin and leave the muscle untouched. It is very dependant on what you truly need. My personal take on the matter is that patients can request what parts of their face get operated on but they probably shouldn't request what techniques are used. Your surgeon should make the recommendation as to what is best but an educated discussion on the matter will clarify your comfort with your plastic surgeon as he should know a very clear and distinct answer to your question.
Best Wishes.

You may be talking about performing muscle surgery from a posterior (back of eyelid) approach in order to correct droopy eyelid, which is different than just excising skin from the front (blepharoplasty). They are each done for a separate reason, depending on the need: do you have excess skin or is it droopy or both. I routinely perform both procedures, if needed.

No, the eyelid muscle is called the orbicularis oculi muscle and is occasionally trimmed of excess muscle. This is to deepen the upper lid fold when necessary. If your desire is to get a deeper fold of the upper lid, then sometimes this muscle can be trimmed. If you want more of a full look the muscle is not trimmed.

Cosmetic eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) has many variations. Let's focus just on the cosmetic surgery of the upper eyelid. Most plastic surgeons generally remove a small strip of muscle in addition to excess skin for eyelid enhancement. Some eye plastic surgeons may remove the extra skin only. Less commonly, a small amount of fat is also removed from the upper eyelid area. Lastly, some patients have droopy eyelids (ptosis), usually from age, and require tightening of the eyelid. Each technique has its advantages and disadvantages.
Only after a comprehensive evaluation by a specialist can an appropriate upper eyelid surgery be determined for you. Best of luck.