What is Eyelid Surgery?
Eyelid surgery involves the surgical removal of extra eyelid skin that some people have in order to look younger and more vibrant. It is typically used to increase the flattening of the sides and to repair the sagging of the skin on the eyelid’s borders. Excess skin, slack muscles, and occasionally excess fat (pads) in the lower and upper eyelids are all decreased with this operation.
As it creates a clear aesthetic connection between the cheeks and brows, this surgery is essential for facial rejuvenation. The position of the eyebrows and eyelids, as well as their relationship to the cheeks, should be examined physically prior to the treatment. Additionally, eyelid surgery can be done to treat sagging brought on by allergies or edema in the eyes.
Who Can Get Eyelid Surgery?
The initial step in any surgical treatment like this should always be a consultation with a doctor. You can easily get this procedure done if you have no eyelid-related medical conditions.
The doctor also assesses possible surgical risk factors such diabetes, thyroid illness, or dry eyes. The extent and frequency of any health issues may make eyelid surgery difficult. Smoking raises the risk of postoperative problems because it slows wound healing. Eye protrusion in some goiter patients may complicate or impede surgery.
Preparing For Eyelid Surgery
Prior to the procedure, the type of anesthesia (local or general) that will be used is decided. For eyelid surgery, local anesthetic is usually sufficient. An intravenous anesthetic can also be used if there is too much stress present or other psychological factors are predominating.
The skin of the eyelid and the area around it are numbed with a very thin needle when local anesthesia is used, but the patient is awake throughout the procedure. Your eye muscles and nerves are not harmed by this process. If general anesthesia is required, a medication will be given that won’t wear off for 20 to 120 minutes following the procedure.
The following should be taken into account before the procedure day if the operation will be carried out under general anesthesia;
- Medication that will raise the risk of bleeding or prevent blood clotting should not be taken, per the doctor’s advice. Aspirin and painkillers with blood thinner characteristics are among these drugs. Use of these medications should be stopped one to two weeks prior to surgery in order to lower the risk of severe bleeding.
- In the evening before the procedure, light foods like soup should be favored. After midnight, no food or drink should be taken.
- If a normal medication needs to be taken the morning of the procedure, it can be taken with a sip of water.
- The day after surgery shouldn’t be used for applying makeup.
How Is the Procedure Carried Out?
Upper and lower eyelids may be operated on independently or both simultaneously during eyelid surgery. Incisions are made 5 mm below the eyelashes in the lower eyelid and in the fold of the upper eyelid throughout the procedure. Scars from incisions won’t be visible after they’ve fully healed. Incision sites are marked by the surgeon during eyelid surgery to show where extra skin and fat tissue should be removed. If the inferior outer eye muscle sags during the surgery, certain muscles can be excised in thin strips. To avoid the dryness getting worse, which could make the signs of sagging worse, eyelid surgery must be done on people with dry eyes using tissues that are smaller in size.
Additionally, the CO2 laser may be used by the physician to eliminate any lingering creases near the eyelids. Lifting the brows during a surgery can produce a comprehensive outcome if the brows are also sagging. By making an incision in the eyebrow, the procedure known as a “eyebrow lift” pushes up the eyebrows and tightens the skin. One technique for elevating the eyebrows involves suspending them using threads that are sent via tiny pores in the scalp to the eyebrows. These threads may be surgical threads, as well as cone or serrated threads that have been specially created. These additional techniques for brow lifting can also be done with local anaesthetic.
How Long Do the Effects Last?
After the procedure, the aging process will continue, and like many other cosmetic procedures, eyelid surgery’s young appearance won’t stay indefinitely. The process can, however, be redone afterwards. Eyelid cosmetic surgery results can last up to 10 years, depending on the patient’s health and other circumstances.