Lower Blepharoplasty

The eyes are a very expressive area of ​​the face and the gaze is one of the main ways of social communication. Lower blepharoplasty is the ideal operation to rejuvenate and brighten the gaze and face, when the eyelids appear "drooping" and with evident fat bags, presenting a downward orientation of the corner of the eye, an entropion and an ectropion. Lower blepharoplasty rejuvenates sagging eyelids and eliminates bags, but does not have complete effects on wrinkles and eyebrow ptosis. In these cases it is also necessary to perform upper blepharoplasty and/or temporal lifting.

An initial consultation with the plastic surgeon will help to eliminate doubts and perplexities, to understand exactly how the operation will take place and what all the options and possibilities are for your case. In order to achieve an optimal result, the possible minimal variations of the surgical procedure will be evaluated based on the anatomical characteristics of the patient, considering the shape of the eye, the relaxation of the eyelid skin, the presence of wrinkles, the presence of fatty deposits (bags) , the shape of the eyebrows and the general condition of the face. The visit is not binding and gives the opportunity to receive all the information regarding the surgical and post-surgical program, medications to be taken, analyzes and checks to be performed and costs. There are two surgical possibilities:
– transcutaneous blepharoplasty with skin incision along the natural folds of the lower eyelid and removal of excess skin and adipose tissue.
– transconjunctival blepharoplasty with internal incision at the level of the eyelid conjunctiva. This technique is advisable in the case of excess adipose tissue without excess skin and in younger patients.

The bilateral lower blepharoplasty procedure takes place under local anesthesia with sedation and lasts an average of 60 minutes. The patient does not feel pain either during the operation or immediately after the operation thanks to the prolonged analgesic effect of this type of anesthetic technique. At the end of the operation, small bags of ice will be placed above the eyelids to limit the formation of edema and therefore swelling. The patient can return home one or two hours after the end of the operation.

In the first post-operative days, the temporary presence of local swelling, mild pain, tearing, itching, dry eyes and sensitivity to light will be normal. This symptomatology is resolved with normal analgesic drugs and eye drops. The first check-up visit is carried out approximately 6 or 7 days after the operation: on this occasion all the sutures will be removed. Normal daily activities can be resumed 3 days after the operation, while it will be best to wait approximately 30 days to resume sporting activity.

The use of any type of specific drug is not indicated.

In the case of transcutaneous blepharoplasty, the residual scars follow the lines of minimum tension of the skin of the eyelids and will be found, almost invisible, immediately below the eyelid margin. In the case of transconjunctival blepharoplasty, scars will be absent.

The result of the surgery depends on several factors: the patient's initial clinical condition, the healing capacity and compliance with the post-operative instructions given by the surgeon. These indications are: ocular hygiene, cold compresses, use of lubricating eye drops, avoid the use of alcohol, do not use contact lenses and abstain from sun exposure until complete recovery. The result of blepharoplasty is obviously destined to fade over time due to the inexorable progress of the natural aging process.

Complications of the operation are rare, but possible: bruising and bleeding, infection, delayed healing of the surgical wound, poor healing, modification of skin sensitivity.