Eyes
Posted November 16, 2016
Pull your hat down and throw a scarf around your neck. What is it that stands out as we move into the winter months? Your eyes!
The old adage still stands true today, “The eyes are the window to one’s soul”. As we age this can often be misleading. For many people the first signs of aging are seen around their eyes. They begin to feel as if their eyes do not reflect how they feel physically and often will comment they look tired or unhappy. They may have some sagging, hooding, or puffiness to the top lid and the lower eyelid may appear to have some puffiness and/or wrinkles. Eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty has become a common cosmetic procedure and is used to give a patient a more refreshed and youthful appearance. A board-certified plastic surgeon can examine you, listen to your concerns, and determine if you are a good candidate for surgery.
The upper eyelid surgery consists of removing a strip of excess skin which results in a scar located along the eyelid crease. This scar fades in approximately two months leaving almost no visible signs of surgery.
The lower eyelid surgery has several surgical approaches that will be determined after initial evaluation with a board-certified plastic surgeon. If there is excessive fat that is creating a bulge in the lower eyelid as well as excessive skin, then two incisions are required. An incision along the inner lining of the lower eyelid allows for easy access to remove some of the bulging fat. An incision that is placed just below the lower eyelashes allows for removal of the excess skin. In some instances, depending on the correction that is needed, only one incision may be required.
The surgical procedure takes approximately 1-2 hours and is performed under sedation in an outpatient setting. Patients can expect some mild discomfort, mild swelling and possibly some bruising along the lower eyelid. There are no stitches in the inner eyelid and dissolving sutures are used for the outer skin incisions. Patients may return to work approximately two weeks after surgery and can resume exercising after three weeks. Dr. Antimarino also recommends that patients not use contact lenses for two weeks post operatively.
