Surgical Procedures - Facial Surgery

EYELID SURGERY (BLEPHAROPLASTY)

Details of your cosmetic eyelid surgery: the eyelid surgery procedure & anaesthesia.

How long does a cosmetic eyelid surgery take?

Blepharoplasty usually takes between one and two hours. Where all four eyelids are involved, the surgeon will probably work on the upper first, then the lower. It may take longer if, when your eyelid surgery is performed, you've chosen to add additional facial cosmetic surgery procedures such as:

a forehead lift
a face lift
improvements to nose or chin
or a browlift.

Where several facial cosmetic surgeries are required, your surgeon may schedule two separate sessions.

The procedure: how is cosmetic eyelid surgery performed?

Your facial surgeon may make the incisions for your eyelid plastic surgery along natural lines - in the creases of your upper lids, and just below the lashes in the lower ones. These incisions may extend just into the crow's feet or laugh lines. Working through the incisions, the surgeon separates the skin from the subcutaneous layers, then removes excess fat, and trims sagging skin and muscle. Very fine sutures are used to close the incisions of your eyelid surgery.

Eyelid If you only need pockets of fat removed from beneath your lower eyelids your surgeon may perform a transconjunctival blepharoplasty where an incision is made inside your lower eyelid, so that no scar is visible on your face after your eyelid surgery.

Anaesthesia options for your cosmetic eyelid surgery.

Most eyelid surgeries are performed under local anaesthetic with a sedative to make you drowsy so that you will be awake but relaxed. You will not feel pain but you may feel some tugging or occasional discomfort. Alternatively, under a general anaesthestic you sleep through your cosmetic eyelid surgery.