Dermatochalasis
(excess skin causing “droopy eyelids”) and Blepharoplasty
Excessive upper lid skin draping and obstructing the outer half of the vision
With age, the skin and muscles of the eyelid can sag and droop. In addition, the fat that surrounds and cushions the eyeball can bulge forward through the skin of the upper and lower lids. Excess skin, muscle, and fat can weigh down the upper lid and in some cases block your vision. This can lead to fatigue, eyestrain, skin irritation, and loss of peripheral vision. Excess skin, muscle, and fat also create what many feel is an unattractive, aged appearance, especially in the lower lids (“bags under the eyes”).
Blepharoplasty is the removal or repositioning of skin, muscle, and fat of the upper and/or lower lids. In the upper lid, the incision is made and hidden in the natural lid crease. For the lower lid, an incision can be made through the skin just beneath the lashes, or through the moist inside surface if the lid called the conjunctiva. These surgeries can be performed under local anaesthesia in our procedure rooms and can take from 45 minutes to an hour and a half. Some bruising and swelling is expected after surgery, which can last about 1 -2 weeks depending on the patient’s own natural healing ability.
The results of blepharoplasty depend upon each patient’s symptoms, unique anatomy, appearance goals, and ability to adapt to changes. Blepharoplasty only corrects vision loss due to excess skin, muscle and fat that blocks the eye. By removing this excess skin, muscle, and fat that blocks the eye, blepharoplasty of the upper lids may allow more light in and improve your peripheral vision. Blepharoplasty does not improve blurred vision caused by problems inside the eye, or by visual loss caused by neurological disease behind the eye.
Because excess skin, muscle, and fat are consequences of aging, most patients feel that blepharoplasty improves their appearance and makes them feel more youthful.