How Long Does an Upper Eyelid Surgery Usually Take?

Hi Brooke,
Upper blepharolplasty should take about one hour to perform unless there are complicating factors. The procedure is usually done under local anesthesia in an office treatment room to avoid the costs of an anesthesiologist and the operating room.
If you are being charged for 3 hours of operating room time I would definitely question your surgeon. The eyelids require meticulous attention to get consistantly excellent results. You do not want your surgeon racing against the clock, yet on theother hand you do not want someone "mucking around" for an uneccessary amount of time either.
They are your lids for the rest of your life so time should be one of the least important considerations in choosing your surgeon. If you trust your surgeon and like his/her results then a little extra time is not important.
Sorry, I have to run, this answer is taking way too long.
Good luck and be well.
Dr. P

Normally, the upper eyelid blepharoplasty under local anesthesia would take 45-50 minutes. I am not sure what anyone would do for three hours during an upper lid blepharoplasty.

When upper lid blepharoplasty is performed by an experienced plastic surgeon, it usually takes between 45 minutes and one hour. It would be unusual for this procedure to take three hours, unless combined with other procedures. Although surgical times are important, they're not the only consideration. It's also important that your surgeon has appropriate credentials and experience performing this procedure.