Eyelids surgery
The most frequent complaint about the eyelids is the saggy skin in the upper eyelids and herniation of the orbital fat around the eyes, known as puffy bags. They emerge with age, disease, or genetic predisposition. They increase over time, thus gradually changing from an aesthetic to a medical issue. Eyelid correction is one of the most effective plastic surgeries that we perform at Asklepion. The procedure helps to improve the aesthetics as well as the vision. The eyes are not tired, do not water or tear, and there is no impaired vision to cause headache.
The surgical procedure is not difficult in technical terms. It takes usually 30 to 60 minutes. During the procedure, excess skin is removed from the eyelids and orbital fat that forms a padded bed for the eyeball in the eye socket is reduced. The patient can even handle the procedure under local anaesthesia. Conscious sedation (also referred to as twilight sleep) can be applied at the patient’s request. During the procedure, the surgeon will remove the excess skin of the eyelid and herniated orbital fat around the eyes. The scar after the upper eyelid surgery is concealed within the natural crease which is formed by the skin after eyelid opening, while after the lower eyelid surgery, the scar is located just underneath the eyelashes.
At Asklepion, we also perform “transconjunctival blepharoplasty” of the lower eyelids, when the doctor checks the area behind the eyelid during the procedure and removes excess fat with a scalpel or laser. The surgeon uses an approach through the conjunctiva to access the eyelid, and the wound sticks together by itself after the surgery and need not be sutured, thus avoiding scar formation.
After the procedure, the client may leave the clinic to go home after several hours, and should return on the next day for dressing. He/she can return to work on the third day after the procedure. During the first 2 days, the patient should use icepacks to avoid swelling. The sutures should be removed on day 5.
We recommend wearing dark glasses for one week after the procedure, as the surrounding of the eyes will be swollen and some bruising may occur, and protection from the light provides relief to the eyes.
Unfortunately, it cannot be expected that the surgery will remove eye wrinkles and lines that form near the corners of the eye. These can be removed only by botox injection or other skin implant.
The surgery can be performed either on the upper eyelids, lower eyelids, or both eyelids together.
In some cases, mild excess skin may occur on the upper eyelid after approximately 10 years, which can be managed by corrective surgery. The final effect is usually permanent.
Summary:
- Duration of the procedure: 30 to 60 minutes
- Type of anaesthesia: local (sedation)
- Stay at the clinic: 2 to 24 hours (according to the type of anaesthesia)
- Recommended stay in Prague: 3 days after the surgery
- Suture removal: 5 to 6 days after the surgery
- Final effect: in 2 to 3 months after the operation; the swelling and bruising, if any, will resolve within 1 to 2 weeks
- Additional information: Wearing dark glasses when outdoors is recommended for at least one week.
