As we age, the skin of the upper eyelid is prone to stretch and becomes ‘crepey.’ As it worsens the skin rests on the eyelashes and hides the normal fold that exists along the upper lid. This can reduce what you are able to see in your peripheral vision, darken your eyes and make you appear tired. It becomes habitual to raise your eyebrows to lift the skin up. This creates unwanted forehead wrinkles and causes headaches. Upper eyelid surgery, also known as a blepharoplasty, is a procedure that removes this excess, loose skin and/or fatty tissue surrounding the eyes to give the area a more rejuvenated fresher appearance.
The aim of eyelid reduction surgery is to improve facial appearance and reduce the signs of ageing by treating:
Remove loose skin that hides the natural fold of the upper eyelid
Recreate the natural contour of the upper eyelid.
Improve peripheral vision
Excess fatty deposits that appear as puffiness in the upper eyelids
Upper eyelid reduction surgery is a highly individualised procedure and may not be suitable for everyone. Always talk to Dr Brooks or another Specialist Plastic Surgeon before deciding. Dr Brooks will assess your condition and general health and plan the treatment that is best suited to you. Before you decide on eyelid reduction surgery, there are some important issues to keep in mind:
Upper eyelid surgery is often carried out separately from lower eyelid surgery
Eyelid reduction cannot remove dark circles under the eyes, lift sagging eyebrows or get rid of crow’s feet
Smokers are at increased risk of complications. If you are serious about undergoing surgery, you should quit smoking
Eyelid reduction surgery may not be a good option for you if you are:
Not able to have an anaesthetic
Prone to bleeding tendencies or have poor healing ability
Too high risk of having surgical complications
Eyelid reduction surgery may be a good option for you if:
You are physically well, and you do not have medical conditions that can impair healing or increase risk of surgery
You do not have any serious eye conditions
You have realistic expectations of what eyelid reduction surgery can accomplish
You are a non-smoker or have stopped smoking for 3 month
This surgery is usually carried out under a general anaesthetic in, a private hospital as a day case. Dr Brooks uses an approach that removes excess skin, fatty tissue and a strip of muscle. The upper eyelid fold is recreated and the whole upper eyelid tightened.
You will not be able to drive for the first week following the surgery. It is advised to use icepacks on your eyes for the first 48 hours. You will be discharged with an ointment to apply four times a day to both suture lines. It is normal to develop bruising or black eyes under both eyes which takes around 10 days to fully resolve. The suture material is removed around 5 days after the surgery. It is advisable to avoid strenuous exercise for the first few weeks following surgery. Most of the swelling will be gone by 2 weeks but allow 3 months for all the swelling to resolve. Most people who don’t know you’ve had surgery will notice a change, usually thinking that you’ve had a holiday or look refreshed, or simply remark that you’re looking well or younger!
Scars are an inevitable part of any invasive surgery. Dr Brooks will endeavour to minimise scarring and to keep your scars as inconspicuous as possible by locating the incisions within an existing skin crease. Scars may fade with time and become barely noticeable. If you are prone to scarring, you should advise your surgeon.
As with all surgical procedures, revisional surgery may be necessary to correct minor irregularities, however this is unlikely. Surgery cannot halt the passage of time, as the younger you are at the time of surgery, the more likely it is that you may wish to have the surgery again later in life.
Depending on the result of surgery and subsequent scar formation, some patients may require one or more additional procedures to attain their desired result.
Cost is a very important consideration in elective surgery. Price is based on individual factors which need to be ascertained at the initial consultation with our highly experienced nurse. The most important factor to clarify is whether you qualify for the Medicare item number for upper blepharoplasty, which is dependent upon the results of a visual fields test, performed by an optometrist. If you qualify, then your private health insurance cover needs to be of a level that covers the MBS item number 45617. That means that most of the hospital fees are covered by your health fund. Please understand that we are unable to quote you before we have met you and been through the above.
Costs associated with the procedure include:
Surgeon’s fee
Hospital or surgical facility costs
Anaesthesia fees
Prescriptions for medication
Medical tests
We welcome any questions you may have regarding fees.
Call our friendly team to get more information about your plastic or reconstructive goals
