Blepharoplasty or eyelid surgery is an intervention that aims to lift drooping eyelids and correct bags and dark circles under the eyes. Results, risks, prices, techniques: all you need to know about blepharoplasty.
Blepharoplasty means cosmetic surgery for droopy eyelids (upper blepharoplasty) and bags under the eyes (lower blepharoplasty). It aims to correct the small defects around the eye, usually related to age. What are the risks of a blepharoplasty? Is it painful? What is the price and can we get a refund? We take stock.
Definition: what is blepharoplasty?
There blepharoplasty East cosmetic surgery eyelids which aims to correct certain small defects of the gaze related to age or heredity. “Blepharoplasty is a intervention on the lower and upper eyelids” says Dr Jérôme Monnier, plastic surgeon. The operation can concern only the two upper eyelids or the two lower eyelids or all four at the same time.
Blepharoplasty corrects heavy and droopy eyelids (the upper eyelids have lost their tone and sag), allowsopen the gaze, to smooth the folds in the hollow of the mobile eyelid. The intervention takes place under local anesthesia, on an outpatient basis. As for the operation of the lower eyelids, the intervention lasts between 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the extent of the relaxation, if additional gestures are associated such as the work of a drooping eyebrow tail for example. “The technique is to remove excess skin and muscle that droops“explains Dr. Monnier. The incision is made in the upper palpebral groove, that is to say in the fold of the upper eyelid. After healing, the scar is practically invisible after 6 months.
What is lower blepharoplasty?
The lower area of the eye contour can be marked by puffiness, dark circles, folds. If the upper area of the gaze undergoes a relaxation of the tissues, the lower eyelids undergo a displacement of the fatty tissues and/or an excess of water storage caused in particular by a bad micro-vascularization which contribute to the formation of a hernia greasy, the famous pocket. “The operation is done under general anesthesia or sedation. because unlike the operation on the upper eyelid where we do not really see what is happening around us, there, we have more visibility” warns the plastic surgeon. In the case of a pocket with excess skin and fat, the incision is made below the eyelash line at 1 or 2 mm, following the natural furrow. When it is not necessary to remove skin but only fat deposits (fatty hernias), the practitioner operates via the so-called trans-conjunctival route, inside the eyelid. The incision is therefore not visible on the skin. The sutures are removed after 4 days.
Blepharoplasty results: before/after
Is blepharoplasty painful?
For the most sensitive, Dr. Monnier wants to be reassuring: “It is not a painful operation. There may be tightness and discomfort at complete occlusion of the eyelids for 48 to 72 hours, but this is transient. Generally, it is not a very sensitive area.”
What are the postoperative consequences of blepharoplasty?
“There is usually a little more aftermath, a little more risk of bruising and swelling for the lower eyelid than for the upper eyelid because more skin is removed, explains Dr. Monnier. After the operation, the eye area may be swollenbut it is rather the next day that small bruises may appear and that the swellings occur.” Swellings that impose a social eviction of about 4 to 5 days. The sutures are removed after 4 days. Eye drops are always prescribed after the operation to prevent dry eyes. To protect the eyes from dust, wind, it is advisable to wear glasses for a few days. The result is generally seen 3 to 6 months after the operation.
“It takes about 3500 € for the four eyelids”
What are the risks of blepharoplasty?
“Blepharoplasty is an operation that is always a bit scary, but you have to understand that you don’t touch the eyes.it is the eyelid that is operated” recalls the plastic surgeon. Even if the risk of complications is low, as with any operation, they are very real. “In particular, there may be a insufficient result with over- or under-corrected eyelids. A new intervention may be necessary to correct this disgrace. Blepharoplasty is an aesthetic and restorative surgery, so we can always correct if necessary.” Depending on the operation, the risks are: a slightly too round eye if too much skin has been removed on the lower eyelid. On the lower eyelid it may be that too much fat has been removed giving an impression of hollow eye. Other complications may occur exceptionally: infections, epidermal cysts, keratitis (corneal ulceration), transient impossibility of complete closure of the upper eyelid, double vision…All these risks must be explained to the patient during the preparatory visits. In addition, there are certain contraindications to blepharoplasty but again they are rare: “There aren’t really any specific contraindications. except maybe glaucoma, scleroderma or autoimmune diseases” In order to limit the risks, it is advisable to call on a plastic surgeon who is well versed in the exercise. Dr Monnier advises to refer at the sites of the SOFCEP or the SOFCPRE to find a qualified practitioner.
Falling eyebrows: what to do?
With age and sagging skin, the eyebrow also tends to fall. Some plastic surgeons take advantage of blepharoplasty to raise the tail of the eyebrow but it is generally rather a separate operation. “In 90%, patients who undergo surgery for blepharoplasty do not treat the eyebrow. This is rather corrected with injections of botoxa forehead lift or by surgical eyebrow suspension. In the case of blepharoplasty, it is generally not necessary to correct the eyebrow because the operation is sufficient in itself.“Assures Dr. Monnier.
What is the cost of blepharoplasty?
The costs depend on the practitioner, the region, the intervention structure… It is necessary to count around 1500 to 2500 euros for upper or lower eyelids and “about 3500 euros for the four eyelids” concludes Dr. Monnier. “In very rare cases, when the eyelid droops so much that it interferes with vision, generally in the elderly, blepharoplasty may be supported“clarifies Dr. Monnier. In other cases, it is a cosmetic surgery operation that is not covered by Health Insurance.
Thanks to Dr Jérôme Monnier, plastic surgeon.