The upper blepharoplasty is one of the most performed minimally invasive surgeries of our Centre. It is a simple surgery and very efficient with immediate results and with a minimal post operatory period when the adequate care is applied. It is carried out with local anaesthetic without the need for sedation.
Our clinic is different because we use a specific radiofrequency equipment for the skin incision that, through a needle tip, allows a more precise and safe cut than the laser. The radius of the scalpel allows clean cutting and simultaneous coagulation of the tissues with subsequent wound healing very quickly and favorably when we perform an invisible intradermal microsuture with monofilament 6/0. The simultaneous coagulation to the cut gives rise to the absence of bleeding before and after the surgery, which minimizes the postoperative period to a great extent.
Upper Blepharoplasty: elimination of the skin flap and excess muscle
How do I know if I need an upper blepharoplasty?
When the skin of the upper eyelid exceeds, this results in a palpebral crease reaching the line of the eyelashes and even overflowing it. This leads to a sad and aged look which could even complicate the line of vision. A very characteristic sign in women is the impossibility to use mascara and eye shadow as the skin covers the area where they are applied and the continuous blinking erases it.
It is also important to determine the position of the upper eyelid. With age, the aponeurosis of the elevating muscle of the eyelid loses elasticity and can produce a ptosis of the eyelid. In a patient with eyelid ptosis, the open eyelid positions itself in a lower point than normal which results in a tired or older appearance.
When this occurs it is very important to detect it as it can easily be corrected when the excision of the skin is carried out.
Is there a lot of inflammation and bruising with a blepharoplasty? How long will I have to be off work?
The upper blepharoplasty is a classic surgery which is minimally traumatic. The oedema is minimal and resolved in 24-48 hours. The use of the radio scalpel and the immediate dressing with cold presses on the bruises make it limited and in some cases inexistent.
The patient will leave the Centre with aesthetic bandages on the scar line which can be removed 48 hours after the operation. As the stitches are not seen, the patient can continue with normal life from this day on. A week later the stitches are removed and here is where 85% of the final result will be visible and will reach 100% a month after the surgery.
What is the correct age to undergo a blepharoplasty?
There is no determined age range. In young patients the cutaneous excess of the skin of the eyelid occurs usually due to hereditary factors rather than the ageing process. This makes the excision of the skin more limited laterally (outside of the eye) and therefore potentially leaving a less visible scar.
With ageing, not only does the skin of the eyelid exceed but also there is another added component: the eyebrow falls (ptosis of the brow tail) in a way that there is excess skin on the sides (crease in the crows feet) and therefore the incision should be extended more laterally to eliminate the redundancy of the skin in the crows feet and this could cause a more visible scar.
In patients with a significant fall of the eyebrows, it could be counter-productive to camouflage the problem through the incision of the skin of the eyelid and for this reason there should be a correct diagnosis and in these cases we should indicate to the patient that we need to perform a lift of the brow tail or an eyebrow lift as an isolated treatment or combined with a blepharoplasty.
Therefore, through hereditary factors, the passing of years or both, the age range to carry out blepharoplasty is very ample although in our experience there is a peak of surgeries in the decade of the 40’s and another in the 60’s.
UPPER BLEPHAROPLASTY BEFORE AND AFTER
