COSMETIC SURGERY
Dr. Cory Lawler
No More ‘Tired’ Eyes
FOR SOME PEOPLE, the eyes are the first feature to reveal age: drooping upper lids, puffy bags below the eyes, dark circles under the eyes (often with a depression along the bony border of the lower eyelids), white showing below the iris. These distortions make people look older and more tired than they feel, and may even interfere with vision.
Others need help earlier, while they are still in their 30’s: their genes have afflicted them with baggy eyelids and dark hollows. Weary-looking eyes are unattractive at any age. Today the fat, excess skin and muscle from your upper and/or lower eyelids can safely be removed, making your eyes look bigger, prettier and more alert.
EYELID SURGERY (Blepharoplasty) is usually considered by men and women over age 35 and is usually an outpatient surgery with preparations and procedure encompassing one to three hours.
Can Anyone Have This Surgery?
A few medical conditions make eyelid surgery risky. They include thyroid problems such as hypothyroidism and Graves’ disease, dry eye or lack of sufficient tears, high blood pressure or other circulatory disorders, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. A detached retina or glaucoma is also reason for caution. Unless you have one of these conditions, you are likely a good candidate for eyelid surgery.
The Surgery
Eyelid surgery can routinely be performed as an outpatient in your facial plastic surgeon’s private certified operating room. You’ll feel no pain, and you’ll go home the same day. (Someone will have to drive you.) An anesthesiologist monitors you and will keep you comfortably sedated during the procedure. You will have no pain, and will be unaware. You’ll be in the operating room for one to two hours. When you wake up, as your anesthesia wears off, you’ll have pain medication to control any discomfort.
At Home
For the first several days after your procedure, you’ll need to sleep with extra pillows (to keep your head elevated) and apply cold compresses. This will control and take down your swelling. Sutures are removed in 3 to 6 days, after which the swelling and discoloration around your eyes will gradually subside, and you’ll start to look and feel much better. Lubricating and cleaning your eyes during the healing process is important, and you will receive detailed instructions on how to ensure this process is done correctly.
THE EYES HAVE IT: Weary-looking eyes are unattractive at any age. Today the fat, excess skin and muscle from your upper and/or lower eyelids can safely be removed, making your eyes look bigger, prettier and more alert.
For a few weeks, you may experience excessive tearing, sensitivity to light, and temporary changes in your eyesight, such as blurring or double vision. You should be able to read or watch television after two or three days. However, you will not be able to wear contact lenses for about one week, and even then, they may feel uncomfortable for a while.
It is imperative to avoid strenuous activities for about three weeks, and especially important to avoid activities that raise your blood pressure, including bending, lifting, and rigorous sports. You should avoid alcohol, too, since it causes fluid retention. Healing is a gradual process, and your scars may remain slightly pink for six months or more after surgery. Eventually, though, they’ll usually fade to a thin, nearly invisible white line.
Your New Look
It will all be worth it when you see the final result: an alert and youthful look in your eyes that you may not have seen for years. For many people, the results are permanent.
Dr. Lawler has been in practice since 1986 and is Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. He has served as chief of plastic surgery at Holmes Regional Medical Center and president of the medical staff at Palm Bay Hospital. To reach Dr. Lawler, call 321-724-8193, or log on to LawlerCentre.com
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