How safe is cosmetic upper eyelid surgery? a lot of people with tired looking eyes recognize that
their upper eyelids are more hooded than they'd like excessive hooding of the upper eyelids is
often a genetic trait as well as a natural part of facial aging in the pursuit of information about
upper eyelid surgery patients have reported to me that they have learned about some very
unsettling complications when they did their research for example they want to be assured
that they'll be able to close their eyes or not look surprised all the time after surgery
I'll discuss my approach to cosmetic upper eyelid surgery and what I do in my practice to help my
patients safely look their best I'm Dr. Amiya Prasad I'm a Diplomate of the American Board
of Cosmetic Surgery and a Fellowship-trained oculofacial plastic and reconstructive surgeon
I've been in practice in New York City and Long Island for over 25 years
I perform a wide range of cosmetic upper and lower eyelid surgeries in my practice such as upper
eyelid blepharoplasty for hooded eyes and double eyelid surgery for Asian patients who want more
defined upper eyelid creases for lower eyelids I frequently perform lower eyelid blepharoplasty
through an advanced transconjunctival technique so there is no incision in the lower eyelid skin
I also perform eyelid procedures not usually performed by general plastic surgeons
such as eyelid ptosis correction and lacrimal gland prolapse repair
as a referral specialist I also perform revision surgery for complications of
eyelid surgery previously performed by other doctors
safety in upper eyelid surgery starts with
recognizing that the eyelids protect and support the function of your eyes
this means that any eyelid procedure can affect the health of your eyes and even your vision
for example a common concern expressed by people considering upper eyelid surgery is that they look
tired looking tired can be due to excessive skin over the eyes which we refer to as dermatochalasis
looking tired can also be due to the eyelids that are too low a condition called ptosis you can have
both dermatochalasis and ptosis at the same time if a person has ptosis and only has skin removed
they can have difficulty with eye closure and still have ptosis after they had surgery
ptosis surgery is mostly performed by oculoplastic Specialists and not by General plastic surgeons
this means that a lot of people are still looking tired after undergoing eyelid surgery
I've been seeing a good number of patients who went to well-known surgeons and are unhappy
with their results they tell me that they met with the surgeon very briefly in consultation
as well as before surgery this is not enough time to do a proper eyelid evaluation particularly for
ptosis these patients were essentially receiving cookie cutter surgery regardless of their anatomy
this cookie cutter approach is not limited to upper eyelid surgery
oftentimes both upper and lower eyelid surgery is performed together I see patients who come
in with difficulty closing their upper eyelids and also having retracted lower eyelids this
can cause the eyes to be exposed during normal blinking and the eyes staying open when sleeping
this condition is a vision threatening situation since exposure leads to potential infections and
even scarring of the cornea in addition to excess skin and upper eyelid ptosis I also evaluate
the bone structure around the eyes for example the upper eyelids can have a hollow appearance
in situations where there is hollowing of the upper eyelid
I can just add volume with a hyaluronic acid filler I recall several patients recently telling
me that by restoring volume in this area I gave them back the look they had when they were younger
the take-home messages that eyelid surgery has uniquely complex variables that require
time to assess and determine the types of procedures that are appropriate for you
over the decades I've been in practice I saw a lot of eyelid surgery complications
in patients who had gone to volume discount plastic surgery practices
this in a way made sense since they were buying low quality at a low cost and taking their chances
recently I've been seeing more complications in patients who went to high-priced surgeons
unfortunately both groups of patients share a common experience the operating surgeon
saw them very quickly in consultation and barely spoke to them on the day of surgery
some patients report being talked into having upper eyelid surgery even though they were
not concerned about their upper eyelids they defer to the surgeon's expertise
only to be dissatisfied and at worse having difficulty with eyelid function
as I mentioned earlier cosmetic upper eyelid surgery is unique among cosmetic surgeries as the
difference between a successful result or outcome and complications can be measured in millimeters
in my practice I routinely perform all my cosmetic surgical procedures
including upper eyelid blepharoplasty with local anesthesia with light IV sedation
this allows my patients to be able to avoid the risks and complications associated with general
anesthesia such as nausea vomiting and brain fog our patients typically go back to work in one week
safe cosmetic surgery comes down to training and experience terms like board certification
are not adequate to communicate a surgeon's level of expertise in a specific area I encourage people
to get to know the prospective surgeon's area of expertise so you can make an informed decision
artistically and safely performed cosmetic upper eyelid surgery can make a remarkable impact for
your parents although complications can occur with any kind of surgery
proper evaluation combined with communication with a surgeon who has expertise and experience
improves the chances of you having a satisfactory result I hope you found this information from
my experience helpful if you are interested in recommendations for yours individual situation
you may contact us through our websites or call our offices to schedule a consultation thank you