Eyelid surgery, also known as blepharoplasty, is used to remove excess skin from the upper and lower eyelids to get rid of hooded eyelids or eye bags. Both upper and lower eyelid surgery can be carried out under local or general anaesthetic. General anaesthetic is often preferred if both the upper eyelids and lower eyelids are being corrected.
During surgery on the upper eyelids, the surgeon makes an incision along the eyelid crease in the natural skin fold of the eyelid, and removes unwanted skin, fat and muscle. The surgeon then closes up the incision, which will hide the scar in the natural fold of the eyelid.
During surgery on the lower eyelids, the surgeon moves or removes fat from the bags under the eyes either through an incision made just below the lower lashes, or an incision made on the inside of the eyelid. A small amount of skin may also be removed, but the muscle that closes the eyelid is preserved. The surgeon will normally apply suture strips to support the eyelids after surgery. These are usually removed after three to five days.
What are the risks?
As well as the general risks of surgery, specific risks of eyelid surgery include:
- your vision may be temporarily blurred after surgery
- your eyes may look slightly asymmetrical
- for the first few days, your lower eyelids may sag and you may find it difficult to close your eyes
- there may be bleeding behind your eye, which can lead to blindness in very rare cases.
The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) has more information on eyelid surgery – http://www.baaps.org.uk/procedures/eyelid-surgery.