Cosmetic Eyelid Surgery

“Hooded” eyelids that droop over the eye and bags under the eyes from fat accumulation create a tired appearance. Increasing age and sun damage, along with recurrent bouts of eyelid swelling, result in an appearance that looks older than a person may feel. Although eyelid surgery may be required for functional reasons, the majority of eyelid operations are done for cosmetic reasons. Excess skin and fatty tissue are removed, usually from both the upper and lower eyelids. The operation is usually done under local anesthesia on an outpatient basis. Scars are usually well hidden and fade substantially in about six months.

“Eyelid crease asymmetry is a frequent complication of eyelid surgery,” says Dr. Joyce D. Nash in her book What Your Doctor Can’t Tell You About Cosmetic Surgery. “One of the most serious complications of such surgery is the pulling away of the lower lid from the eye, which can result in persistent dry eyes. In rare cases, bleeding, infection, and blindness can occur. (Only two cases of blindness have been reported, and these occurred in the 1950s.) Eyelid surgery causes quite a bit of bruising and swelling because of the thinness of eyelid tissue, although most of this resolves within a few weeks.”