Eyelid Surgery
Eyelid surgery or blepharoplasty can create more open,
larger, and brighter appearing eyes. In women, excess skin
of the upper eyelid can interfere with makeup application
and obscure the natural contours of the eyelid. In both men
and women, loose, sagging, bulging tissues often make the
eyes appear smaller and contribute to a more tired or
stressed appearance.
Eyelid surgery is a very delicate procedure that is
accomplished by removing loose skin and fatty tissue through
very fine incisions based on careful measurements of your
eyelids. Excessive removal of fat can produce a hollow,
unnatural appearance, so Dr. Forley takes extra care to
remove very precise amounts of tissue as needed to maintain
the structure of the eyelids and allow for proper eye
closure.
In some cases, repositioning of the fat of the lower eyelid
over the bony rim is performed to create a smooth transition
from the lower eyelid to the cheek when a lid-cheek
demarcation, known as a “tear trough”, is present.
Hyaluronic acid fillers may also be injected to smooth out
the appearance of the tear trough.
Incisions for eyelid surgery are placed within a naturally
occurring fold of the upper eyelid and immediately beneath
the eyelashes of the lower eyelid to make them
inconspicuous. If only fat removal is needed from the lower
eyelid, the incision can sometimes be placed inside the lid
resulting in no visible scar.
Recovery involves very minimal discomfort and a variable
amount of swelling that decreases rapidly after the third
day. Moderate bruising can be easily camouflaged with makeup
until it resolves by 7-10 days. Sutures are removed by the
fifth day and patients usually return to work after 1 week.
