When the excess tissue of the eyelids makes the eyes appear aged and tired, a procedure known as blepharoplasty may be an option to make the eyelids appear more youthful and awake. Dr. Biesman is an experienced Oculofacial Plastic Surgeon who has provided countless patients with outstanding blepharoplasty surgery results. We asked him a few questions about what to expect during blepharoplasty surgery and to describe the eyelid rejuvenation process, recovery time, and more.
What is blepharoplasty and eyelid rejuvenation surgery Nashville?
Blepharoplasty, or eyelid rejuvenation surgery, is a surgical procedure that we perform to help eyelids look less tired and more youthful. Blepharoplasty can also allow eyelids to have more definition, be tighter, and just look fresher.
Blepharoplasty can be performed on both the upper eyelids and the lower eyelids. One of the important pieces of information to keep in mind is that the upper eyelids and the eyebrows are closely related. When the brow is low, it may look like you just need a blepharoplasty when what you need is a brow lift as well. And if your upper eyelid is droopy, we may need to tighten the muscle in the eyelid. So, eyelid rejuvenation surgery can involve blepharoplasty in conjunction with brow lifting or other procedures.
How do you know if someone is a candidate for blepharoplasty eyelid surgery?
Almost anyone can be a candidate for blepharoplasty eyelid surgery if they are unhappy with the appearance of their eyelids. The vast majority of people who either have asymmetry of the eyes or just don’t like the way their eyelids look are good candidates for blepharoplasty surgery. Note that there are certain degrees of limitation we have when doing cosmetic surgery. If the differences between the eyes are extraordinarily minute, it can be difficult to make them exactly perfect. Candidates with these very minute differences may not be the best candidates for blepharoplasty surgery.
How do you recommend a patient prepare for blepharoplasty eyelid surgery?
Blepharoplasty surgery is very easy for most patients to tolerate. It’s usually a very good experience.
One of the most important things that we ask our patients to do before blepharoplasty surgery is to hold off on Aspirin, Motrin, Advil, Ibuprofen, or any blood-thinning products. Those can even include some vitamins, supplements, and things that you may not think about as blood thinners. We provide patients with a full list of what those products look like. Aside from that, take care of yourself, get plenty of rest, and try to avoid alcohol for about 24 to 48 hours before surgery.
Describe the day-of surgery. What can a patient expect?
On the day of blepharoplasty surgery, people are typically a little bit nervous. That’s very normal. If you’re not nervous the day of surgery, that makes me a little bit nervous.
Usually, you’ll come to the outpatient surgery center, where we do many of our procedures, or straight into our office, where we do some as well. We’ll get you comfortable, and make sure all the paperwork is taken care of. I’ll begin to draw some lines on the eyelids indicating what I want to do surgically, where I want to make my incisions. We can take a few minutes to talk one more time about what we’re going to do, and if you need to ask any questions, you can. Once we’re all ready to go, we’ll make sure that you’re comfortable and take you back to the operating room.
What does recovery look like for blepharoplasty eyelid surgery?
Recovery after blepharoplasty surgery is very well-tolerated by almost all patients. Probably 90 percent or more of our patients take only extra-strength Tylenol for pain relief. There’s always going to be bruising and swelling after surgery. The better you can be about using cold compresses on your eyelids, the better you tend to do in terms of the amount of bruising and swelling that develops.
We had one patient who had almost no bruising or swelling, just three or four days after surgery, and we asked him: “What was the secret?” He said: “Ice and Netflix.” He used ice and watched Netflix, and he was very diligent. Just make sure you don’t put an ice cube on your skin. Always have a cloth or something in between. But, the more diligent you can be with ice, staying relaxed, and trying not to do much in the way of heavy exertion, the better you’ll do with recovery.
More Questions About Blepharoplasty and Eyelid Rejuvenation?
With any additional questions about eyelid surgery, we welcome you to schedule a consultation with Dr. Biesman. Contact our practice whenever you are ready to schedule an appointment.