Surgery for under-eye bags, lower lid puffiness and skin laxity. Where bags are the only problem the lid can be entered from behind with no skin incision; where there is also excess skin, an incision is made below the lash line. Not every kind of puffiness needs surgery, so the cause has to be identified first.
Surgery for the loss of skin elasticity, sagging and fat herniation that develop in the upper eyelid over time. The aim is a rested appearance with a better-defined lid crease, without altering the natural structure of the eyelid. It is usually performed under local anaesthesia and does not require a hospital stay.
Blepharoplasty is the medical name for eyelid surgery. The word comes from the Greek blepharon (eyelid) and plastikos (to shape). It reshapes the upper and lower eyelids by addressing excess skin, lax muscle and forward-displaced fat, giving the eye area a more rested appearance.
Blepharoplasty is not purely cosmetic. Excess skin on the upper lid can obstruct the upper visual field, and in that case surgery becomes a functional necessity. Oculoplastic surgery is the ophthalmic subspecialty that addresses both sides of the problem together.
Blepharoplasty is not one operation but a family of them. At the examination I decide which is needed through these distinctions:
In the short video below I set out what canthoplasty really involves.
I postpone surgery when there is uncontrolled dry eye, active lid margin inflammation, uncontrolled blood pressure or ongoing blood-thinner use. In dry eye patients I treat the ocular surface first and plan surgery afterwards.
Blepharoplasty can be carried out under local or general anaesthesia. Upper lid procedures are usually performed under local anaesthesia without an overnight stay. Duration depends on the extent of the procedure.
In the short video below I explain what Asian blepharoplasty is and how it differs from other upper lid procedures.
Some of these can be corrected with a second procedure, which is why follow-up matters as much as planning the first operation.
Not every periocular complaint needs surgery. Where the problem is limited to expression lines, volume loss or skin quality, injection-based methods may suit better: botulinum toxin injections, dermal fillers, mesotherapy, and NanoFat injections prepared from the patient's own fat. All of these are gathered under periocular rejuvenation.
I am an ophthalmologist working in oculoplastic surgery in Kadıköy, Istanbul. I hold the FEBO diploma of the European Board of Ophthalmology and am an active member of ESOPRS, the European Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and of the Oculoplastic Surgery Unit of the Turkish Ophthalmological Association.
Patients travelling from abroad should plan the trip around the recovery timeline set out above: enough time to attend the suture removal visit before flying home, and a clear route for follow-up questions afterwards.
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