It is commonly thought that the upper part of the face shows age about 8-10 years earlier than the lower part of the face. Therefore, women and men in their 30’s and 40’s are often first concerned about the appearance of their eyes. Droopy upper eyelids can make you look older while puffiness under the eyes can make you look tired. Blepharoplasty corrects these problems and is often performed on both upper and lower eyelids. Often the eyebrows have also fallen, causing hooding over the outer eyes. During your consultation, Dr. Ahn will help you make the decision as to whether your brows need to be elevated as well.

In upper eyelid surgery, Dr. Ahn first marks the natural eyelid crease and the excess skin to be removed using fine calipers on a millimeter scale. The incision is made within the natural eyelid crease so that the incision line can be as discreet as possible. Excess skin, muscle and fat are removed, and fine sutures are used to close the incisions.

In lower eyelid surgery, Dr. Ahn employs one of two techniques. Both correct the puffiness of the lower eyelids that is caused by the protrusion of three fat pads that exist normally in your lower eyelids. The traditional lower blepharoplasty approach uses an incision below the eyelashes through the skin and muscle to remove some of the fat pads. The extra skin and muscle are then removed and fine stitches are placed to close the incision. The newer transconjunctival approach involves placing the incision behind the eyelid so that the fat pads can be addressed more directly. There is no incision through the skin unless a little sliver of skin needs to be removed at the same time. The choice of technique is dependent on the individual and is determined by Dr. Ahn in consultation. Under normal conditions, blepharoplasty can take from one to two hours and can be performed under local anesthesia.

What to Expect After the Surgery

Immediately after the surgery a certain degree of swelling and bruising is normal. Cold compresses, as well as head elevation when lying down, will speed healing and relieve discomfort. Following surgery, you will clean the eye area and apply healing ointment. The upper eyelid sutures are removed at 5-7 days; the lower eyelid sutures will dissolve on their own. Most people at that point are able to appear in public with a little cover-up makeup. Depending on how quickly you recover, you may expect to resume normal activity within a week to 10 days and start enjoying your new look within approximately 10-14 days. It may take about 6 months for the redness along the incision lines to fade.

Q-What is eyelid surgery?
A-Eyelid surgery, also referred to as Blepharoplasty, is a surgical procedure which can correct droopy upper eyelids and puffiness beneath the eyes. The surgery may be performed on both the upper and lower eyelids.

Q-Who is a candidate for eyelid surgery?
A-Eyelid surgery is commonly performed on men and women in their thirties and forties who are looking to improve upon early signs of aging around the eyes including droopy upper eyelids and puffiness beneath the eyes. If there is hooding over the outer eyes, Dr. Ahn will help you to decide if the brows also need to be elevated.

Q-What will happen during a consultation for eyelid surgery?
A-During a consultation for eyelid surgery, Dr. Ahn will discuss the available treatment options including the benefits, the expected outcomes and any alternatives. He will address any questions or concerns that you may have and take special care to educate you about the eyelid surgery procedure so that you can make a well-informed decision. Digital photography and computer imaging will be used to demonstrate the potential results. If hooding over the outer eyes is present, Dr. Ahn will help you to decide whether or not the eyebrows should be elevated as well.

Q-What sort of anesthesia is eyelid surgery performed with?
A-Under normal conditions, Dr. Ahn performs eyelid surgery with local anesthesia.

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