They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. We look into the eyes of everyone that we have a conversation with, even complete strangers. So it is no surprise that if your eyelids are starting to get a bit droopy or saggy with age that everyone will notice. You may want to consider eyelid surgery to give your eyes a younger appearance.
So what is involved in eyelid surgery? This is an outpatient surgery procedure that can be preformed either in your doctor’s office, or in an outpatient surgery facility. You will be given some sedation, and then the eyelid area will be injected with a local anesthetic. During the procedure will feel pressure but you should never feel any discomfort. This procedure can easily be combined with other cosmetic procedures. If other procedures are added general anesthesia may be necessary. These multiple procedures will need to be done in an outpatient surgery center rather than your doctor’s office.
After the eyelids are numbed, the surgeon will make small incisions in the upper eye lid along the natural creases. This will minimize noticeable scarring. Extra fat will be removed along with any extra muscle and skin that is excessive. This will reshape the eyelid so that it is firmer and has a more youthful appearance.
The lower lid can also be fixed in much the same manner. The lower lid incisions may be just inside the loser lid. Like the upper lid, extra fat is removed and any excess muscle can be removed. This surgery will only fix your eye lids. Eyelid surgery will not fix crow’s feet or sagging eye brows.
While eyelid surgery is usually cosmetic in nature, eyelids can sag to the point that vision is impaired. If you suffer from this condition, eyelid surgery is considered a medical necessity and may be covered by insurance. Cosmetic eyelid surgery is not covered by insurance, so make sure you and your surgeon are clear on how the claim will be submitted. You cannot ask your surgeon to verify that your eyelid surgery is for medical necessity if it is purely for cosmetic reasons. If you have eyelid surgery that is done for medical necessity and combined with cosmetic procedures such as a brow lift, the eyelid surgery can usually be split off and submitted to insurance for payment. Most surgeons will require upfront payment for any cosmetic procedure.
As with all surgeries there are risks and some patients do have less than optimal outcomes. Although rare one of the complications from lower eyelid surgery is the patient cannot completely close their eyes when they sleep. This will require an additional surgery to fix. Another complication is your eyes may not look symmetrical or the same. Scarring can also be more pronounced in some patients. Every surgery will leave a scar, but the goal is to hide the scars in natural creases so they are barely noticeable.
Before you have eyelid surgery, you will need to discuss all the options with your surgeon. You will need to become as informed as possible about benefits and risks to the surgery so that you can make a well informed decision.
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