Eyelid lift surgery: is it safe and how is it performed?

Do you ever feel like your eyes look tired and puffy? With age and gravity, your eyelids can often appear to have dropped and increase the appearance of age. Mr Jonathan Britto, a leading plastic surgeon, gives us a summary of eyelid lift surgery and what it entails.

Who gets lower eyelid lifts?

People ask for eyelid lifts when they have eye bags, or to treat a sunken dark lower eyelid. The interesting thing is that eye bags can be the combination of an excess of skin, an excess of muscle or muscle thickness, or an excess of fat pushing into the lower eyelid. Those tissues can be rebalanced by blepharoplasty surgery to provide a really lovely contour between the lower eyelid and the cheek. Some people request eyelid lifts if they have a sunken lower lid with a shadow of tiredness or aging. All of these groups of people will benefit from an eyelid lift.

How safe is eyebag surgery?

Eye bags surgery is extremely safe in experienced hands. The aim is to provide a contour benefit between the lower eyelid and the cheek. The risk of damaging the support structures of the lower lid so that the lower lid droops away from the eyeball and fails to protect it is called an eyelid malposition. If that happens it can be repaired, but the aim, with experienced assessment and surgery is to avoid that problem.

How is eyelid surgery performed?

Eyelid lift surgery is performed under twilight anaesthesia usually as a day-case procedure. This involves being sedated by an expert anaesthetist and being prepared for surgery to rebalance the tissues of the lower lid. The scar is usually hidden under the eyelash line or indeed behind the lower lid so that it is not seen at all. Through these routes we can rebalance the relationship of the skin, the fat and the muscle to provide an aesthetic contour in the lower lid and between the lower lid and cheek.

Is eyelid lift surgery safe in combination with facial surgery?

I am often asked to provide eyelid life surgery in combination with other facial procedures. In fact, this is a very common request and can be entirely safe. The procedure is usually done as day-case procedure under twilight anaesthesia. The recovery can be swift and the bruising minimal. The aim with such combination procedures is to provide a good aesthetic balance, a refreshed appearance between the lids, the face, and the neck, and oftentimes, including the brow and upper lid also.

If you would like to learn more, or are considering eyelid surgery, make an appointment with a specialist.