Joseph W. Rucker, MD, FACS – Plastic Surgery Clinic located in Eau Claire and River Falls, Wisconsin
Sometimes, even after a great night’s sleep, it can be hard to feel alive and vibrant when you see those tired, drooping eyes looking back at you from the mirror. The loose skin over your eyes and the bags below make you look more tired and older than you feel. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. This is why blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery, is the third most popular cosmetic surgery procedure (after liposuction and breast augmentation). Patients are usually seeking a less tired, rejuvenated and more alert appearance.
As we age, the skin around our eyes loses its elasticity. You may develop loose folds of skin on the upper eyelids and deep creases on the lower lids. At the same time, your muscles in this area may slacken so that any fat bulges forward, producing a baggy appearance. It is important to note that one can develop baggy eyes in one’s twenties before your skin changes. This would be an inherited family trait.
Eyelid surgery consultation
I encourage you to schedule a consultation so that we may discuss your condition, your expectations, and the probable outcome from the various eyelid surgery procedure options. You often will be given several conservative treatment options including facial chemical peels or facial laser treatments. If however, the physical findings are excessive skin and an actual bulging of the tissues, then blepharoplasty is probably the treatment of choice.
What about insurance?
Eyelid problems are common, even in younger people. Correcting eyelid problems that interfere with your vision may be covered by your insurance. However, when eyelid surgery is performed for cosmetic reasons, it may not be covered by your health insurance.
The procedure
Blepharoplasty is usually performed in our office surgical suite. It is generally performed under a local anesthetic with mild I.V. sedation. We place the incisions in the crease above each eye to correct problems of the upper eyelids. Then a thin crescent of excess skin is removed. The incisions are closed with very fine sutures. To remove the fatty deposits beneath the eyes, the incisions are placed just under the eyelash. The procedure can take one to two hours, depending on the extent of the surgery.
Recovery time
The eye area is bruised and swollen for about two weeks. Most people can be socially presentable within 8 to 10 days. Usually, the eyes are not swollen shut and pain is rated a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10. The areas around the eyes are very forgiving and no cover makeup is needed to conceal the scars after the normal healing process has passed.