Blepharoplasty

Indications for blepharoplasty

As a rule, blepharoplasty is performed for aesthetic purposes according to the wishes of a patient who wants to get rid of age-related or birth defects.

General indications for upper and lower blepharoplasty are:

• Tired look;

• excess skin (dermatohalyasis);

• eye asymmetry;

• bulging of fatty tissue (steatoblefarone);

• drooping of the corners of the eyes;

• visual impairment associated with congenital or acquired eyelid defects.

Separate indications for upper eyelid blepharoplasty are:

• lowering of eyebrows and subcutaneous area;

• drooping eyelid;

• epicanthus (Asian eyelid or Mongolian fold);

For blepharoplasty of the lower eyelids , the indications are:

• fatty hernias or bags under the eyes;

• wrinkles in the lower eyelid area;

• skin sagging;

• ectropion (inversion of the eyelid) of an age-related, traumatic, scarring nature.

Although blepharoplasty can achieve a noticeable effect, the method has some limitations. Plastic surgery of this type will not help eliminate wrinkles or age spots that are part of age-related skin changes. Therefore, surgery can be complemented by other cosmetic methods.

Contraindications

Blepharoplasty is not performed in the following conditions:

• decompensated arterial hypertension;

• coagulopathies;

• inflammatory and infectious diseases of the eyes, as well as somatic diseases in the acute phase;

• serious cardiovascular diseases;

• oncological diseases.

How the operation works

At the initial consultation, the doctor discusses with the patient his complaints, wishes, and possible results of the procedure. The operation is performed under local or general anesthesia. Depending on the complexity, the duration of the surgical procedure is 40-90 minutes.

During the operation, the surgeon performs an incision or puncture in accordance with the pre-applied markings, removes excess skin, and also removes excess fatty tissue. After that, the fabrics are sewn with absorbable and non-absorbable threads.

Rehabilitation

Inpatient rehabilitation after surgery is not required, the patient can go home on the same day. Special strips are applied to the patient, which prevent the incisions from diverging. In the first days after surgery, the tissues swell, but after 10-14 days the swelling subsides. During the recovery period, it is not recommended to sleep face down, attend thermal procedures (baths, saunas), overexert the eyes. The sutures are removed for 5-7 days.

It will be possible to evaluate the rejuvenating effect of the operation after recovery, 2-4 weeks after surgical correction.

Sources:

1. Kazantsev Alexander Dmitrievich, Kazantseva Elvira Pavlovna, Alekseev Igor Borisovich. Blepharoplasty: historical aspects, terminology and modern concepts // Breast cancer. Clinical ophthalmology. 2022. №2.
2. Rebowe RE, Runyan C. Blepharoplasty. [Updated 2023 Jul 24]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov