Eyelid Surgery

Blepharoplasty is a highly tolerable procedure when performed by a qualified, board-certified plastic surgeon. It’s rare for patients to take pain medications after the first days of recovery. Most patients experience slight discomfort. Significant discomfort is unusual, which is why many patients choose to combine this procedure with others, such as a facelift or non-surgical treatments like Botox, Dermal Fillers, laser skin resurfacing, or IPL, to double down on the recovery period.

The thinner the skin, the better the scar – this is a general rule in cosmetic surgery. Eyelid skin is the most delicate on the entire body, and it makes for the least visible scars.  Concerning the lower eyelid, there is the option to remove excess fat from the eyelid through the eyelash line, which does not leave a visible scar.

To learn more about blepharoplasty, request a consultation with Dr. Jason Cooper at one of his convenient locations in Jupiter or Palm Beach.

Eyelid lift surgery addresses excess sagging eyelid skin, prominent or protruding fat in the upper and lower eyelids, eyelid fat bags, transition from the lower eyelid to the cheek, position of the lateral eyelid commissure relative to the inner eyelid commissure, and eyelid aperture opening.

The incisions are different depending upon whether the upper or lower eyelid is being addressed. For upper eyelid surgery, the incision will be within the eyelid crease. This incision is very well concealed and typically not visible when the eyes are open. The lower blepharoplasty incision is placed immediately below the lash line.

A relaxed environment. We perform multiple eyelid surgeries per week. Often, blepharoplasty is combined with facial rejuvenation procedures, although it can be performed alone. Eyelid surgery is an outpatient surgery conducted under sedation, so there is no awareness whatsoever during the procedure. Surgical time ranges from an hour to an hour and a half if all four lids are part of the surgical plan. There is minimal discomfort after eyelid lift surgery. Patients recover in our facility for 45-60 minutes after the procedure and are discharged home.

Upper eyelid blepharoplasty recovery includes minor swelling 2-3 days post-operation. Sutures are removed in about a week following surgery, and patients can return to most activities in 2 weeks. Lower eyelid blepharoplasty may require slightly more downtime, as minor swelling and bruising should be anticipated for 10-14 days. Sutures are removed from the lower eyelids at 6 days post-operation. Patients should expect to wear dark sunglasses for several weeks to minimize sun exposure and squinting.

You will need to consult with Dr. Cooper to disclose your medical history so he can advise you on whether your historical scar history will have an impact on eyelid surgical healing. Adverse surgical healing can be related to numerous factors that may or may not have any bearing on eyelid healing and scarring.

Of course, the purpose of good surgical planning and execution is to perform cosmetic procedures that restore your natural refreshed appearance and beauty. I prefer that someone ask if you lost weight after eyelid lift surgery because no one should be aware you had work done on your eyes. You should look better.

Typically, it’s not a good idea to operate on one eyelid unless a revision of prior surgery or reconstructive surgery is being performed.

Nothing is permanent, but performing lower blepharoplasty multiple times should be closely evaluated due to adverse outcomes such as “fish eye” or dry eye that care arise from having multiple lower blepharoplasties. Sometimes after many years, patients may require a small amount of sagging skin (not fat) to be removed from the lateral part of the upper eyelid. The removal of this skin will usually help decrease hooding.

Blepharoplasty is outpatient procedure. The procedure is performed with IV sedation and then the area around the eyes is numbed with local anesthesia. You are not awake, and there is no awareness during the surgery.

The area will be swollen for a few days, but you will experience minimal to no pain. You should be able to easily read, respond to text messages, and do computer work after 48 hours.

1 to 2.5 hours, depending if surgery is just to upper or lower eyelids or both.

No. I use IV sedation, so you will need a friend or family member to drive you back home.

10-14 days.

Blepharoplasty can temporarily impact tear production. 9-15% of patients experience increased dry eye after lower blepharoplasty, therefore evaluating a patient’s pre-existing dry eye is a critical part of the consultation process. I rarely ever have patients experience dry eye after upper eyelid surgery. I have a very clear process and surgical technique to reduce the chance of developing dry eye after blepharoplasty.

To improve your more youthful appearance by removing skin and fat from either the upper or lower lids or both.

No, crow’s feet are the result of smiling, which involves upper lip elevation and squinting. Your crow’s feet may be softened, but they will not be removed and should not be expected to be removed with this procedure. Droopy eyebrows can be the result of many different things. The eyebrow will not move up without a brow lift, which is a different operation than upper blepharoplasty surgery. Lastly, dark circles are likely to remain after blepharoplasty. They can often be the result of genetic skin pigmentation, shadowing, thin skin with vein visibility, or facial soft tissue descent. Therefore, dark circles may be improved, but they are much more likely to remain to some degree.

The bags under the eyes can be removed by carefully removing fat in these areas.

The brow position and upper eyelid position will be assessed at the time of your consult.

Typically, the soft tissue around the eye tends to droop, leading to the appearance of fat bags in the lower lid area. Drooping skin around the upper eyelid skin can also lead to lateral hooding.

Candidates for this procedure are patients who dislike excess upper or lower eyelid excess skin, along with those experiencing bulging fat in either the upper or lower lid.

Yes, I just need to review your dry eye history.

I have operated on lower lids in patients as young as 21 and as old as 85.

Yes, although they are very minimal and well concealed by design.

Very safe.

Dry eye can be a side effect of lower lid surgery, along with scarring and bleeding.

Typically you can resume wearing contact lenses 10 to 14 days after your surgery.

This is at the discretion of the doctor. I prefer to wait a few months to allow for scar remodeling and skin settling before considering. Having a good doctor-patient relationship is important. Most minor procedures can be performed under local anesthesia.

If you would like to move forward, your next step is to call our office or schedule a consultation from our website.

We provide a document as part of our pre-op process regarding food and drinking guidelines.

Yes, you will need pain medication for 24-48 hours (although you may not take it), antibiotics for 3-5 days, eye drops, and eye ointment.