Eyelid Surgery-Lower Lids

Lower Eyelids That Raise Your Overall Appearance

To improve droopy or poofy eyelids, patients can undergo a lower blepharoplasty, which is also called an eyelid lift.

The procedure removes excess skin and corrects the fullness of the upper eyelids. This results in a rejuvenated and well-rested appearance. A lower blepharoplasty can also be combined with a forehead lift to further enhance your overall facial appearance.

If you don’t have any excess skin to be removed, but have bulging fat in the lower lid area, a transconjunctival lower blepharoplasty is the ideal procedure for you.

Regardless of the procedure, eyelid lifts are generally not covered by insurance plans, but there may be some coverage if your sagging eyelids interfere with vision. Please check with your insurer to verify what your plan covers.

Procedure Overview: Lower Blepharoplasty Procedure

1. At our outpatient surgical facility, you’ll first be put under IV sedation.

2. Small incisions are made just below the eyelashes and excess skin and muscle trimmed away.

3. Incisions are closed with fine sutures.

4. The eyelid lift usually takes about an hour to perform.

Procedure Overview: Transconjunctival Lower Blepharoplasty Procedure

1. At our outpatient surgical facility, you’ll first be put under IV sedation.

2. The lower eyelid skin is gently pulled forward and a small nick is made in the inner eyelid.

3. A special instrument is then used to carefully remove the fatty deposits.

4. There are no sutures to remove.

Recovery Time: Eyelid Surgery-Lower Lids

For both procedures, bruising and swelling can last 10-14 days. However applying a cold compress after the lower blepharoplasty for three days can initially help reduce that. If you don’t mind your initial post-op appearance, you can return to light work in two or three days.

Sutures are removed a week after the lower blepharoplasty. Although there will be scars, but they won’t be noticeable because they’re placed in the eyelid crease. You can resume strenuous activities six weeks after the eyelid lift.

For those who opt for the transconjunctival lower blepharoplasty, the recovery time is much quicker due to the lack of sutures.