Blepharoplasty is consistently among the most popular cosmetic procedures, and therefore there are many myths about eyelid correction. Samvel Petrosyants, a plastic surgeon at the DMC Center for Innovative Medicine, debunks the most popular of them.
Plastic surgeon at the DMC Center for Innovative Medicine
Plastic surgery of the upper and lower eyelids does not affect vision in any way, since the surgeon performs all manipulations outside the eyeball, only in the area of the adnexal tissues. Sometimes the patient may feel that immediately after blepharoplasty, vision has worsened or improved. During the rehabilitation period, such sensations are completely normal, since excess skin around the eyes is removed, which could interfere with comfortable vision. This is also due to the adaptation of the pupillary muscle, which affects the clarity of the image, as well as the short-term swelling that occurs in the eye area immediately after surgery and which can contribute to a blurred image.
If you follow all the doctor’s recommendations during the rehabilitation period, these symptoms quickly disappear and your vision returns to the same as before the operation, or even improves, since the excess skin no longer interferes.
For blepharoplasty, local anesthesia with sedation is sufficient. The patient falls into a light, medicated sleep, does not feel stress or pain, and after the operation he or she wakes up easily and regains consciousness quickly. During the operation, the surgeon may even ask the patient to slightly open or close his or her eyes to increase the precision of the manipulations performed.
Blepharoplasty can be combined with other operations. For example, facelift, endoscopic facelift, frontotemporal facelift, rhinoplasty, lip correction using the Bulhorn method, breast lift and endoprosthetics, abdominoplasty and liposuction are performed simultaneously with eyelid surgery. In this case, general anesthesia is already indicated, as it increases the duration of the operation and the area of manipulation.
In fact, eyelid surgery can be performed at any age. It all depends on the indications of each patient and the desired result.
For example, if signs of aging begin to appear around the age of 30, they can be leveled out with non-surgical blepharoplasty. It is performed using injection and hardware techniques that promote tissue rejuvenation and maintain the freshness of the face. And the operation itself can be postponed to a later date, when these methods are no longer sufficient.
There are also categories of patients who, due to the anatomical features of their facial structure and heredity, have the so-called Asian eyelid. That is, excess skin in the upper eyelid area together with the absence of a skin fold. As well as patients with congenital eyelid defects or acquired as a result of accidents, diseases and accidents. In such situations, blepharoplasty can be performed even at a young age to create the desired aesthetics of facial features and enjoy their appearance now.
This is true. Oncology is an absolute contraindication for blepharoplasty. This is because the treatment of the disease is a priority and it is critically dangerous to waste time by postponing therapy for the duration of cosmetic surgery. In addition, it is difficult to predict the body’s reaction to plastic surgery, possible risks and complications.
However, there are situations in which blepharoplasty is indicated for oncology. For example, if the metastases affect the eyelid tissue. Then, during blepharoplasty, the affected tissue is removed to preserve the functionality of the eye and the aesthetics of the face.
It would be more correct to say that after eyelid surgery, Botox is not necessary, as the tissues are tightened and the skin is smoothed. The operation itself provides an excellent aesthetic effect that can last up to ten years.
In some cases, Botox is prescribed after blepharoplasty to patients with individual facial features. For example, if after removing hernias and “bags” small wrinkles remain or the effect of sunken eyes occurs. Then, botulinum toxin injections and fillers help to fill the missing tissue volumes and improve the smoothness of the skin, improving and prolonging the results of the operation.
