Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) is a procedure to both sculpture or reposition fat and remove
excess skin and muscle from the upper and lower eyelids. Eyelid surgery may correct drooping
upper lids and puffy bags below your eyes. However, it will not remove crow's feet or other
wrinkles, eliminate dark circles under your eyes, or lift sagging eyebrows. While the surgery may
add an upper eyelid crease to Asian eyes, it will not erase evidence of your ethnic or racial
heritage. Blepharoplasty can be done alone, or in conjunction with other facial surgery
procedures such as a facelift or browlift.
If you are considering eyelid surgery, this information will give you a basic understanding of the
procedure; when it may help, how it's performed, and what results you can expect. It can not
answer all of your questions, since a lot depends on the individual. Please ask Dr. Baroody about
anything you do not understand during your consultation.
THE BEST CANDIDATES FOR EYELID SURGERY
Blepharoplasty can enhance your appearance and your self-confidence, but it will not
necessarily change your looks to match your ideal, or cause other people to treat you differently.
Before you decide to have surgery, think carefully about your expectations and discuss them with
Dr. Baroody.
The best candidates for eyelid surgery are men and women who are physically healthy,
psychologically stable, and realistic in their expectations. Most are 35 or older, but if droopy,
baggy eyelids run in your family, you may decide to have eyelid surgery at a younger age.
A few medical conditions make blepharoplasty more risky. They include thyroid problems such as
hypothyroidism and Graves' disease, dry eye or lack of sufficient tears, high blood pressure or
other circulatory disorders, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. A detached retina or glaucoma
is also a reason for caution; check with your ophthalmologist before you have surgery.
ALL SURGERY CARRIES SOME UNCERTAINTY AND RISK
When eyelid surgery is performed by a qualified plastic surgeon, complications are infrequent
and usually minor. Nevertheless, there is always a possibility of complications, including infection
or a reaction to the anesthesia. You can reduce your risks by closely following your surgeon's
instructions both before and after surgery.
The minor complications that occasionally follow blepharoplasty include double or blurred vision
for a few days; temporary swelling at the corner of the eyelids; and a slight asymmetry in healing
or scarring. Tiny whiteheads may appear after your stitches are taken out; your surgeon can
remove them easily with a very fine needle.
Following surgery, few patients may have difficulty closing their eyes when they sleep; in rare
cases this condition may be permanent. Dr. Baroody makes every precaution in order to help
prevent this from happening. Another very rare complication is ectropion, a pulling down of the
lower lids. In this case, further surgery may be required.
PLANNING YOUR SURGERY
The initial consultation with Dr. Baroody is very important. He will require your complete medical
history, so check your own records ahead of time and be ready to provide this information. Be
sure to inform Dr. Baroody if you have any allergies; if you're taking any vitamins, medications
(prescription or over-the-counter), or other drugs; and if you smoke.
You should also provide any relevant information from your ophthalmologist or the record of your
most recent eye exam. If you wear glasses or contact lenses, be sure to bring them along.
You and Dr. Baroody will carefully discuss your goals and expectations for the surgery. You will
need to discuss whether to do all four eyelids or just the upper or lower ones, whether skin as
well as fat will be removed, and whether any additional procedures are appropriate.
Do not hesitate to ask Dr. Baroody any questions you may have, especially those regarding your
expectations and concerns about the results.
PREPARING FOR YOUR SURGERY
Dr. Baroody will give you specific instructions on how to prepare for surgery, including guidelines
on eating and drinking, smoking, and taking or avoiding certain vitamins and medications.
Carefully following these instructions will help your surgery go more smoothly.
While you are making preparations, be sure to arrange for someone to drive you home after your
surgery, and to help you out for a few days if needed.
WHERE YOUR SURGERY WILL BE PERFORMED
Eyelid surgery may be performed in Dr. Baroody's office-based facility, an outpatient surgery
center, or a hospital. It's usually performed on an outpatient basis; rarely does it require an
inpatient stay.
TYPES OF ANESTHESIA
Eyelid surgery is usually performed under local anesthesia which numbs the area around your
eyes along with oral or intravenous sedatives. You may be awake during the surgery, but relaxed
and insensitive to pain. (However, you may feel some tugging or occasional discomfort.)
THE SURGERY
Blepharoplasty usually takes one to three hours, depending on the extent of the surgery.
In a typical procedure, Dr. Baroody makes incisions following the natural lines of your eyelids; in
the creases of your upper lids, and just below the lashes in the lower lids. The incisions may
extend into the crow's feet or laugh lines at the outer corners of your eyes. Working through
these incisions, Dr. Baroody separates the skin from the underlying fatty tissue and muscle,
removes excess fat, and often trims sagging skin and muscle. The incisions are then closed with
very fine sutures.
If you have a pocket of fat beneath your lower eyelids but don't need to have any skin removed,
Dr. Baroody may perform a transconjunctival blepharoplasty. In this procedure the incision is
made inside your lower eyelid, leaving no visible scar. It is usually performed on younger patients
with thicker, more elastic skin.
AFTER YOUR SURGERY
After surgery, your eyelids may feel tight and sore as the anesthesia wears off, but you can
control any discomfort with the pain medication prescribed. If you feel any severe pain, call Dr.
Baroody immediately.
Keep your head elevated for several days, and to use cold compresses to reduce swelling and
bruising. (Bruising varies from person to person: it reaches its peak during the first week, and
generally lasts anywhere from two weeks to a month.) Use artificial tear eye drops, since your
eyelids may feel dry at first and your eyes may burn or itch. For the first few weeks you may also
experience excessive tearing, sensitivity to light, and temporary changes in your eyesight, such
as blurring or double vision.
Dr. Baroody will follow your progress very closely for the first week or two. The stitches will be
removed five to seven days after surgery. Once they're out, the swelling and discoloration
around your eyes will gradually subside, and you'll start to look and feel much better.
GETTING BACK TO NORMAL
You should be able to read or watch television after two or three days. However, you won't be
able to wear contact lenses for about two weeks, and even then they may feel uncomfortable for
a while.
Most people feel ready to go out in public (and back to work) in a week to 10 days. By then,
depending on your rate of healing and Dr. Baroody's instructions, you will probably be able to
wear makeup to hide the bruising that remains. You may be sensitive to sunlight, wind, and other
irritants for several weeks, so you should wear sunglasses when you go out.
Keep your activities to a minimum for three to five days, and avoid more strenuous activities for
about three weeks. It's especially important to avoid activities that raise your blood pressure,
including bending, lifting, and rigorous sports. Also avoid alcohol, since it causes fluid retention.
YOUR NEW LOOK
Healing is a gradual process, and your scars may remain slightly pink for six months or more
after surgery. Eventually, though, they'll fade to a thin, nearly invisible white line.
On the other hand, the positive results of your eyelid surgery, the more alert and youthful look,
will last for years. For many people, these results are permanent.
excess skin and muscle from the upper and lower eyelids. Eyelid surgery may correct drooping
upper lids and puffy bags below your eyes. However, it will not remove crow's feet or other
wrinkles, eliminate dark circles under your eyes, or lift sagging eyebrows. While the surgery may
add an upper eyelid crease to Asian eyes, it will not erase evidence of your ethnic or racial
heritage. Blepharoplasty can be done alone, or in conjunction with other facial surgery
procedures such as a facelift or browlift.
If you are considering eyelid surgery, this information will give you a basic understanding of the
procedure; when it may help, how it's performed, and what results you can expect. It can not
answer all of your questions, since a lot depends on the individual. Please ask Dr. Baroody about
anything you do not understand during your consultation.
THE BEST CANDIDATES FOR EYELID SURGERY
Blepharoplasty can enhance your appearance and your self-confidence, but it will not
necessarily change your looks to match your ideal, or cause other people to treat you differently.
Before you decide to have surgery, think carefully about your expectations and discuss them with
Dr. Baroody.
The best candidates for eyelid surgery are men and women who are physically healthy,
psychologically stable, and realistic in their expectations. Most are 35 or older, but if droopy,
baggy eyelids run in your family, you may decide to have eyelid surgery at a younger age.
A few medical conditions make blepharoplasty more risky. They include thyroid problems such as
hypothyroidism and Graves' disease, dry eye or lack of sufficient tears, high blood pressure or
other circulatory disorders, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. A detached retina or glaucoma
is also a reason for caution; check with your ophthalmologist before you have surgery.
ALL SURGERY CARRIES SOME UNCERTAINTY AND RISK
When eyelid surgery is performed by a qualified plastic surgeon, complications are infrequent
and usually minor. Nevertheless, there is always a possibility of complications, including infection
or a reaction to the anesthesia. You can reduce your risks by closely following your surgeon's
instructions both before and after surgery.
The minor complications that occasionally follow blepharoplasty include double or blurred vision
for a few days; temporary swelling at the corner of the eyelids; and a slight asymmetry in healing
or scarring. Tiny whiteheads may appear after your stitches are taken out; your surgeon can
remove them easily with a very fine needle.
Following surgery, few patients may have difficulty closing their eyes when they sleep; in rare
cases this condition may be permanent. Dr. Baroody makes every precaution in order to help
prevent this from happening. Another very rare complication is ectropion, a pulling down of the
lower lids. In this case, further surgery may be required.
PLANNING YOUR SURGERY
The initial consultation with Dr. Baroody is very important. He will require your complete medical
history, so check your own records ahead of time and be ready to provide this information. Be
sure to inform Dr. Baroody if you have any allergies; if you're taking any vitamins, medications
(prescription or over-the-counter), or other drugs; and if you smoke.
You should also provide any relevant information from your ophthalmologist or the record of your
most recent eye exam. If you wear glasses or contact lenses, be sure to bring them along.
You and Dr. Baroody will carefully discuss your goals and expectations for the surgery. You will
need to discuss whether to do all four eyelids or just the upper or lower ones, whether skin as
well as fat will be removed, and whether any additional procedures are appropriate.
Do not hesitate to ask Dr. Baroody any questions you may have, especially those regarding your
expectations and concerns about the results.
PREPARING FOR YOUR SURGERY
Dr. Baroody will give you specific instructions on how to prepare for surgery, including guidelines
on eating and drinking, smoking, and taking or avoiding certain vitamins and medications.
Carefully following these instructions will help your surgery go more smoothly.
While you are making preparations, be sure to arrange for someone to drive you home after your
surgery, and to help you out for a few days if needed.
WHERE YOUR SURGERY WILL BE PERFORMED
Eyelid surgery may be performed in Dr. Baroody's office-based facility, an outpatient surgery
center, or a hospital. It's usually performed on an outpatient basis; rarely does it require an
inpatient stay.
TYPES OF ANESTHESIA
Eyelid surgery is usually performed under local anesthesia which numbs the area around your
eyes along with oral or intravenous sedatives. You may be awake during the surgery, but relaxed
and insensitive to pain. (However, you may feel some tugging or occasional discomfort.)
THE SURGERY
Blepharoplasty usually takes one to three hours, depending on the extent of the surgery.
In a typical procedure, Dr. Baroody makes incisions following the natural lines of your eyelids; in
the creases of your upper lids, and just below the lashes in the lower lids. The incisions may
extend into the crow's feet or laugh lines at the outer corners of your eyes. Working through
these incisions, Dr. Baroody separates the skin from the underlying fatty tissue and muscle,
removes excess fat, and often trims sagging skin and muscle. The incisions are then closed with
very fine sutures.
If you have a pocket of fat beneath your lower eyelids but don't need to have any skin removed,
Dr. Baroody may perform a transconjunctival blepharoplasty. In this procedure the incision is
made inside your lower eyelid, leaving no visible scar. It is usually performed on younger patients
with thicker, more elastic skin.
AFTER YOUR SURGERY
After surgery, your eyelids may feel tight and sore as the anesthesia wears off, but you can
control any discomfort with the pain medication prescribed. If you feel any severe pain, call Dr.
Baroody immediately.
Keep your head elevated for several days, and to use cold compresses to reduce swelling and
bruising. (Bruising varies from person to person: it reaches its peak during the first week, and
generally lasts anywhere from two weeks to a month.) Use artificial tear eye drops, since your
eyelids may feel dry at first and your eyes may burn or itch. For the first few weeks you may also
experience excessive tearing, sensitivity to light, and temporary changes in your eyesight, such
as blurring or double vision.
Dr. Baroody will follow your progress very closely for the first week or two. The stitches will be
removed five to seven days after surgery. Once they're out, the swelling and discoloration
around your eyes will gradually subside, and you'll start to look and feel much better.
GETTING BACK TO NORMAL
You should be able to read or watch television after two or three days. However, you won't be
able to wear contact lenses for about two weeks, and even then they may feel uncomfortable for
a while.
Most people feel ready to go out in public (and back to work) in a week to 10 days. By then,
depending on your rate of healing and Dr. Baroody's instructions, you will probably be able to
wear makeup to hide the bruising that remains. You may be sensitive to sunlight, wind, and other
irritants for several weeks, so you should wear sunglasses when you go out.
Keep your activities to a minimum for three to five days, and avoid more strenuous activities for
about three weeks. It's especially important to avoid activities that raise your blood pressure,
including bending, lifting, and rigorous sports. Also avoid alcohol, since it causes fluid retention.
YOUR NEW LOOK
Healing is a gradual process, and your scars may remain slightly pink for six months or more
after surgery. Eventually, though, they'll fade to a thin, nearly invisible white line.
On the other hand, the positive results of your eyelid surgery, the more alert and youthful look,
will last for years. For many people, these results are permanent.
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| CONSENT, INSTRUCTIONS |
| 10 South Street . Suite 204 . Ridgefield, CT 46 Federal Road . Danbury, CT 203.790.5700 |
| Plastic surgeon Michael Baroody, MD offers a variety of plastic surgery procedures. Dr. Baroody's practice is located in Danbury, and Ridgfefield, CT and serves both Fairfield and Litchfield Counties. The doctor specializes in forehead lift, eyelid surgery, rhinoplasty, facelift, neck liposculpture, liposuction, breast augmentation, breast lift, tummy tuck, and others as well as a variety of reconstructive procedures. Examine the website and learn more about Dr. Baroody and the various services provided. Financing options available. 10 South Street . #204 . Ridgefield, CT 06877 46 Federal Road . Danbury, CT 06810 . Phone: (203) 790-5700 |
