Aesthetic Surgery

Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)

1) Is there an optimal age for eyelid surgery?
There is no optimal age, but there is a right moment. This moment is determined by the presence of a defect to be corrected and may happen at any age.

2) Are the scars visible? Where are they located?
The eyelids skin is very thin and therefore the scars tend to hide between the natural skin lines. For this to happen, you must wait the scar maturation period (3 months). Due to their location, they may be disguised under light makeup from the very first days.

3) What is the type of anesthesia?
Due to the limited extension of the surgery and the availability of good anesthetics, most cases will require only local anesthesia (in some cases, prior sedation may be applied). The surgery is rarely performed under general anesthesia. This alternative is kept in reserve for cases where local anesthesia is clinically contraindicated (rare) or when blepharoplasty is performed concomitantly with other surgical procedures.

4) Is there pain in the postoperative period?
Usually no. Even in cases where there is a higher level of sensitivity or short episodes of pain, these may be completely controlled use regular analgesics.

5) Do the eyes get very swollen? For how long?
The edema (swelling) of the eyes varies from patient to patient. Some patients will have a rather natural appearance already in the 4th or 5th day. Others will achieve this result after the 8th day or later. Even though, the first 3 days postoperatively are those with the more marked swelling of the eyelids. The use of sunglasses may be useful in this phase, as well as the use of cold compresses to decrease the intensity of edema. After the 3rd month, the residual edema becomes mild, and it does not affect the final outcome.

6) How long is the hospital stay?
In case of local anesthesia: up to 12 hours.
In case of general anesthesia: 24 hours.

7) How long is the surgical procesure?
Usually it takes around 90 minutes. On a case by case basis, some factors may extend this time. Nevertheless, they never exceed a 50% increase in the standard foreseen duration.

8) What are the "purple spots" seen in certain cases?
These are nothing but the result of the infiltration of blood in the underlying skin, sometimes also in the conjunctiva (the thin membrane that covers the outer surface of the eyes). However, this does not mean any future problem and it is not considered as a complication, but as a transient and reversible intercurrent phenomenon.

9) When will i achieve the definitive result?
After the 6th month. However, already after the 8th day approximately 50% of the expected result will have been achieved, and over the 2 or 3 weeks that follow this percentage tends to improve markedly.

10) Will the eyes remain occluded after surgery?
Not necessarily. We just recommend the application of cold compresses (borated water) for a few minutes, several times a day, which can be done by the patient him/herself, as a prophylactic measure against marked edema. Some surgeons, however, prefer to occlude the eyes during post-operative.

11) In the end, is the result rewarding?
: If you are aware of your expectations and if the surgeon can deliver what you have asked for, no doubt the result will be rewarding. However, it is important to consider the fact that eyelid surgery, if performed alone, does not rejuvenate the entire face. Many patients have such expectations (rejuvenating) about blepharoplasty alone. The plastic surgeon will only promote an improvement of the area affected by preexisting esthetic defects. Facial rejuvenation implies other techniques associated with blepharoplasty. "Crow's feet", even when correctly managed, will never disappear: the lines will remain, due to the action of the orbicular muscle and the loss of elasticity of the remaining skin.