Menu
Type of procedure: Ambulatory
Procedure duration: 1 to 2 hours
Anesthesia: general or possibly local anesthesia
Post-operative recovery: 3 to 7 days
Returning to social life: 3 to 7 days
Returning to strenuous physical activity: 15 days
A blepharoplasty is a plastic or cosmetic surgery procedure for anyone embarrassed by the appearance of their eyelids.
The discomfort may be due to the presence of bags or the colored ring, sagging skin, marginal wrinkles of the outer eye, or theabsence of an eyelid crease (ethnic eyelid).
There are three types of blepharoplasty with different objectives.
The circles are diminished by repositioning the suborbital fat or malar pocket and by a lower eyelid lifting effect.
For pigmented circles, lipofilling offers a long-lasting solution to improve their coloring.
Without surgery, an injection of fillers (hyaluronic acid most often) also allows temporary treatment of dark circles.
Small wrinkles in the outer corner of the eye are caused by contractions of the orbicularis muscle. The lateral resection of the muscle during a blepharoplasty (a technique that is not systematic and therefore should be discussed in consultation) can permanently reduce these wrinkles.
This type of procedure can be considered a definitive “Botox” treatment with no functional impact on the muscle.
However, this procedure is definitive and freezes the look a bit.
Dr. Gianfermi prefers to use botulinum toxin (“Botox”) every 6 to 12 months to treat temporarily these wrinkles while maintaining a natural appearance and reversibility of the treatment.
If the skin sagging is moderate and the skin quality is good, it is possible to remove the bags through the inside of the lower eyelids (conjunctival route).
Wrinkles can be further reduced by performing “external smoothing” with one to two laser sessions or by resecting the skin using the Pinch blepharoplasty technique.
Finally, if the skin distension is marked, then the wrinkles will be blurred during lower blepharoplasty by replacing the relaxed skin and muscle using the Tarsal strip’ or external canthopexy technique.
A blepharoplasty may be combined with other facial cosmetic procedure(s) :
Depending on the initial anatomy and the patient’s desire, the associated procedures can be performed during the same procedure if it does not present an increased anesthetic or surgical risk.
In the majority of cases, an upper blepharoplasty is performed under local anesthesia with mild sedation.
When the lower eyelids or all 4 eyelids are to be done then blepharoplasty is performed under general anesthesia.
The procedure is most often performed with an outpatient hospitalization. You arrive in the morning and leave in the early or late afternoon. When blepharoplasty is associated with other surgical procedures (such as a face lift…), an overnight hospital stay following the procedure is preferable.
