is surgery for eye bags safe try to think of a day when you don't see news with headlines like
botched plastic surgery if you're considering surgery for under eye bags there are some
specific safety issues that are important to understand when you're considering this procedure
in my practice i address three common risk related concerns that people have
during a consultation for under eye bags the first is risk to vision and eye health
the second is risk of an unsatisfactory appearance
the third is the risk to your health typically concerns about the administration of anesthesia
it's important to have a clear understanding of these risks before you move forward with any type
of surgery 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 lower eyelid procedures including surgery
for eye bags every day in my practice I also perform a range of cosmetic eyelid surgeries
such as upper eyelid blepharoplasty for hooded eyes and double eyelid surgery for
patients of Asian descent I also perform eyelid surgeries that are not usually performed by
general plastic surgeons such as eyelid ptosis and eyelid retraction correction
I'm frequently consulted to revise complications of under eye bag surgery originally performed by
other surgeons let's begin with an understanding of the basis for puffy eyes simply stated puffy
under eye bags are caused by fat compartments which are located under the eyes and that prolapse
or herniate forward resulting in the constant appearance of looking tired the risk to your
eye health and vision is important to understand since these compartments are located adjacent
to your eye in my practice during surgery processes and procedures are in place to
protect the eyes so injuries to the eyes don't occur while I'm operating
as a doctor as a surgeon who trained in ophthalmology or eye surgery prior to specialized
training in eye plastic surgery I am acutely aware and focused on protecting not only the eyes
but the surrounding structures critical to eye function I often see patients who have come in
after having eyelid surgery elsewhere with complications such as eyelid retraction
and eyelid ectropion these often occur as a consequence of lower eyelid skin removal
and compromise of the delicate support structures that maintain the position of the lower eyelid
many of these outcomes could have been avoided with some basic understanding of oculoplastic
principles looking from a more holistic perspective I think of eyelid surgery as
ocular or eye surgery in and of itself I always say that eyelids that look good function well
so having apprehension about the cosmetic results of any cosmetic procedure is natural
you don't want to take the big step of having surgery only to later regret having done so
I find that most of the people who come in to see me want to look better and at the same time
still look like themselves they often will run down a list of well-known people whose
eyes they find objectionable and want to avoid looking like they do by showing them examples
of my patients before and after photos that I strongly value preserving individual character
and achieving a natural appearance for them for example the complications I mentioned earlier
are frequently associated with surgery performed from the outside of the eyelid called a
transcutaneous blepharoplasty with skin removal in contrast I perform most of my lower eyelid
procedures from the inside of the eyelid this advanced approach is called a transconjunctival
blepharoplasty with this approach I'm able to preserve the natural shape and character
of your eyes and avoid many of the problems associated with conventional eyelid surgery this
is particularly important for people of different ethnic backgrounds who are concerned about visible
scars and problems such as keloids taking this a step further a natural and optimal appearance can
also be achieved by combining procedures such as adding fractional laser resurfacing
PRP or platelet-rich plasma application as well as volume enhancement of the cheekbones
the bottom line is that great results require technical proficiency combined with artistry
cosmetic surgery is purely elective so as far as I'm concerned health risks have to be minimal as
minimal as possible many of my colleagues prefer to perform all their procedures under general
anesthesia general anesthesia is the method of anesthesia where you are unconscious and paralyzed
so you have a tube in your throat for you to breathe with the assistance of a mechanical
ventilator to deliver oxygen to your lungs although general anesthesia can be safely
administered you are still at risk for common side effects including nausea vomiting constipation
brain fog and prolonged recovery time coming from an eye surgery background
where we perform surgery inside the actual eyes under local anesthesia with sedation
it made intuitive sense to me to use similar anesthesia approaches for cosmetic eyelid surgery
in my practice i routinely perform cosmetic eyelid surgery using local anesthesia with LITE IV
sedation our patients are comfortable throughout their surgery and feel good immediately afterwards
they typically have no side effects from the anesthetics or sedation and feel like themselves
right after surgery I routinely see our patients after one week when they are generally able
to go back to work with minimal to no bruising so as far as addressing the question how safe is eye
bag surgery I should reiterate that eyelid surgery is unique as a cosmetic procedure
because it can have an impact on eye health and vision I can attest to the success of my systems
to minimizing risk and optimizing results and recovery I hope you found this information helpful
from my experience and if you're interested in recommendations for your individual situation
you may contact us through our websites or call our offices to schedule a consultation thank you