Blepharoplasty

Blepharoplasty is an operation aimed to correct age-related changes in the eyelids, changes in the shape or incision of the eyes. It can be performed under both general and local anesthesia, the duration of the operation is from 30 minutes to 2 hours.

The skin of the age is the thinnest in the whole human body, it is subjected to, like the whole body, gravitational influence, and over time loses elasticity, stretches and “hangs” over the eyes. This leads to the formation of “bags under the eyes”, “sad” look and can cause visual acuity. It should be remembered that  upper and lower eyelids are components of the periorbital area and do not age in isolation, which necessitates the need to take into account the state of all elements of this localization when performing operations aimed at correcting age-related changes.

There are upper and lower blepharoplasty.

Upper blepharoplasty is performed to remove the true excess skin, for the correction of “fullness”, the formation of folds of the upper eyelid with its indistinctness, and correction of the position of the ciliary edge.

The incision is made in the area of ​​the folds of the eyelid, which makes the scar invisible. During the operation, excess skin is removed, if necessary, the strips of the circular muscle of the eye and retroseptal fat are removed too. Often the correction of “hanging” of the upper eyelid is accompanied by front-temporal lifting (lifting of the upper third of the face).

Lower blepharoplasty is performed to correct age-related changes in the lower eyelids, which are manifested by furrows and folds of the skin, sac-like formations of relaxed tissues, fatty hernias.

This surgery can be performed via transconjunctival and percutaneous access (in the presence of excess skin of the lower eyelid). Both surgical incisions are invisible, which significantly improves the cosmetic effect of this procedure.

When performing eyelid plastic surgery, it is necessary to take into account the types of gravitational changes of the periorbital region:

• Type I – minimal changes in the lower eyelid;
• Type II – to the changes characteristic of type I is added a slight manifestation of the eyelid-buccal sulcus;
• Type III – gravitational ptosis of the lower eyelid below the edge of the orbit, lowering the level of the eyelid-buccal sulcus, deepening of the nasolabial folds and flattening of the zygomatic elevation;
• Type IV – the maximum signs of aging of the periorbital region, characterized by the presence of significant excess skin, fatty hernias, pronounced lacrimal and eye-cheek furrows, deep nasolabial folds.

At I and II types carrying out of the isolated top and / or lower blepharoplasty is possible, whereas at III and IV types for achievement of optimum and steady cosmetic result it is necessary to carry out a tightening of an average zone of the person and to restore volume of a cheekbone elevation. This is due to significant relaxation of the skin of the eyelid, weakness of the circular muscle of the eye, severe ptosis (below the edge of the orbit), changes in visual acuity.

Blepharoplasty gives a long-lasting cosmetic result, which manifests itself in two weeks (when there is a possibility for this intervention edema and hematoma), leads to rejuvenation of the periorbital area and improves the holistic perception of the whole person.