Eyelid Surgery

What is Eyelid Surgery?

Eyelid surgery is the surgical removal of excess skin of the eyelid present in some people to look younger and livelier. It is generally applied to correct the sagging of the skin on the edges of the eyelid and to increase the flattening of the sides. With this procedure, excess skin in the area, relaxed muscles, and sometimes excess fat (pads) in the lower and upper eyelids are reduced.

This procedure plays a vital role in rejuvenating the face, as it establishes a direct aesthetic link between the eyebrows and cheeks. In the physical examination before the procedure, the position of the eyebrows and eyelids and their proportion to the cheeks should be assessed. In addition, eyelid surgery can be performed for the sagging occurring due to eye allergies or edema.

Who Can Get Eyelid Surgery?

For surgical procedures like this one, a doctor consultation should be carried out first. If there are no medical problems with the eyelids, you can easily undergo this operation.

At the same time, potential surgical risk factors such as dry eyes, thyroid disease or diabetes are evaluated by the doctor. The severity and number of any health problems may interfere with eyelid surgery.

Smoking increases the risk of surgical complications because wound healing is slowed down in people who smoke. In some patients with goiter, eye protrusion may complicate or hinder surgery.

Preparing For Eyelid Surgery

The type of anesthesia (local or general) that will be administered is determined before the procedure. Local anesthesia is generally sufficient for eyelid surgery. If there is too much stress is present or other psychological factors are dominant, it can also be carried out with intravenous anesthesia.

When local anesthesia is administered, the skin of the eyelid and the area around it are anesthetized with a very fine needle and the person remains awake during the operation. This process does not cause any damage to your eye muscles and nerves. If general anesthesia is required, an anesthetic will be administered which will remain effective until 20 to 120 minutes after the surgery.

If the operation will be performed under general anesthesia, the following should be taken into consideration before the operation day;

• In line with the doctor’s recommendations, medications that will increase the risk of bleeding or prevent blood clotting must not be taken. These medications include aspirin and pain relievers with blood thinning properties. In order to reduce the risk of excessive bleeding during the operation, the use of these drugs should be discontinued 1 to 2 weeks before the operation.
• Light meals such as soup should be preferred in the evening before the surgery. Nothing should be consumed after midnight.
• On the morning of the operation, if a regular medication needs to be taken, it can be taken with a sip of water.
• Make-up should not be applied on the day of surgery.

How Is the Procedure Carried Out?

Eyelid surgery can be performed on the lower or upper eyelids separately, or both at the same time. During the operation, horizontal incisions are made in the fold of the upper eyelid and 5 mm below the eyelashes in the lower eyelid. After the incisions have healed, the scars will be difficult to notice. During eyelid surgery, the doctor marks the incision points to indicate the areas where excess skin and fat tissue should be removed.

During the procedure, if there is sagging in the inferior outer eye muscle, thin strips can be removed from some muscles. In patients with dry eyes, eyelid surgery must be performed using tissues smaller in size to prevent the dryness from worsening, which may in turn cause worsening of the symptoms of sagging.

The doctor may also use a CO2 laser to smooth out any remaining wrinkles around the eyelids. If the eyebrows are also drooping, performing a procedure lift them can create a holistic result. This application, called eyebrow lift, pulls up the eyebrows and tightens the skin by making an incision in the eyebrow.

One of the eyebrow lifting methods is to suspend the eyebrows using threads sent through small holes in the scalp to the eyebrows. These threads can be surgical threads, as well as custom-made cone or serrated threads. These additional eyebrow lifting procedures can also be performed under local anesthesia.

How Long Do the Effects Last?

The aging process will continue after the operation and, as in all other cosmetic operations, the youthful appearance resulting from eyelid surgery will not last forever. However the procedure can be repeated at a later time. Depending on the person’s health and other factors, the effect of eyelid cosmetic surgery can last up to 10 years.