Eye lift surgery, also known as blepharoplasty, may be done as a cosmetic procedure, to improve your appearance, or it may be done as a medical procedure in cases where the lids are drooping such that vision is affected, or the drooping is causing eye-related problems. Upper lid blepharoplasty and lower lid blepharoplasty may be performed individually or together, depending on the needs of the patient. Both procedures involve use of local anesthesia (numbing of the eye area), and in some cases, mild sedation ("twilight sleep").
Your surgeon will first evaluate your condition and concerns, taking into consideration your overall health as well as your goals and expectations for eye lift surgery. Blepharoplasty is not a cure for aging skin, but it can greatly improve the appearance of the eye area, and therefore improve quality of life and satisfaction for people who are candidates for this type of surgery.
The surgery itself requires the surgeon to make a cut in the eyelid close to the lash line. The surgeon then removes excess fat and tissue, and rearranges muscle to smooth and lift the area. The process takes less than one hour for each set of lids. While there may be some bruising and soreness after the surgery, your lids should heal within a few weeks and the results can be long lasting.
Because blepharoplasty is considered an elective (by choice) procedure, it is generally not covered by insurance. It may be covered, however, if your vision is affected and a vision test confirms this.
Many people think of plastic surgery as purely cosmetic, but there’s a lot more to this surgical specialty. Plastic surgeons often do reconstructive procedures that can rebuild body parts after an injury or illness.
