Eyelid surgery, also known as blepharoplasty, is a treatment applied to the lower or upper eyelids under anesthesia for aesthetic purposes or to eliminate different disorders.
Blepharoplasty is mostly requested by patients for aesthetic purposes to achieve a youthful appearance on the face, but in some cases it is also necessary to eliminate problems that may adversely affect health.
The eyelid protects the eye against the external environment, moisturizes the eye with its closing and opening reflex, and prevents the formation of visual disturbances by helping vision. Due to aging, eyelids become thinner and fat accumulation is seen under the eyelid.
Many disorders such as sagging eyelids, swelling, discoloration, wrinkles, tired appearance, tear trough formation, prominence of the white of the eye due to pressure on the eye, headache, limitation of the field of vision, which occur due to aging, diseases, sunlight and environmental effects, can be treated with eyelid surgery. Low eyelid can sometimes be caused by low eyebrow. If this is the case, eyebrow lift surgery is performed. Generally, eyelid surgery is performed in adult patients over the age of 30.
In infants, due to lack of development, the eyelid may remain low and cause problems such as lazy eye and slippage in the eye. For this reason, the examination process is continued at regular intervals, especially in the first 6 months. If eyelid development is not observed, surgery can be planned between the ages of 2-4 after the problems in the eye are eliminated.
In eyelid surgery, the specialist determines the patient’s suitability for surgery by examining the necessary examinations, examinations and past medical history. He checks the soft tissues and bone skeletal supports on the face. If the patient has systemic and cardiovascular diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, glaucoma, graves-like disorders, eyelid surgery will not be suitable for these patients.
In the surgery performed under anesthesia, an incision is made on the eyelids at the fold line. Any excess fat, muscle and skin tissue is removed from this incision area. Since the eye is at the forefront in terms of aesthetics in the body, aesthetic sutures are placed at the base of the eyelashes to avoid surgical scars.
Upper eyelid surgeries are performed in about 1.5 hours under local anesthesia, while lower eyelid surgeries are performed in about 2 hours under general anesthesia. While local anesthesia is applied for the removal of skin, muscle and fat tissue, treatments such as repositioning the fat on the eyelid, face lift, brow lift should be performed under general anesthesia.
Cold ice pack application is recommended for up to 3 days to reduce postoperative swelling. After 6-7 days, the stitches are removed and the patient can return to normal life. Since the full recovery process will take up to 2 months, the patient’s compliance with the specialist’s recommendations will prevent possible infections.
After the surgery, the patient should not take a shower for two days and then take a shower with warm water without wetting the operated area . Do not go out in daylight without UV glasses.
