Eyelid Surgery
The effects of aging are commonly first noticed around the eyes.
Loose skin develops in both upper and lower eyelids, and fatty tissue
(bags) cause bulging. These changes result in a sad and tired look.
Excess skin of the upper eyelids may also impair vision. Blepharoplasty
(eyelid lift, eye lift, eyelid surgery)
is a procedure designed to reverse these changes. Upper and lower
eyelid corrections are most commonly done together. This relatively
small surgery can achieve a dramatic rejuvenating effect on the overall
facial appearance. The goal is achieve a natural looking,
rejuvenated eyes while avoiding the "over-operated appearance "
with contour changes and hollowing. Dr. Zemplenyi performs
blepharoplasty at our Bel-Red Center for Aesthetic Plastic Cosmetic Surgery
on patients from Seattle, Bellevue, the entire Puget Sound region
as well as on referred patients traveling to see Dr. Zemplenyi from locations as far as
Oregon, California, Florida and New York.
Pre-operative Consultation
We wish is to help you decide on the best treatment program tailored
for your individual needs. During your consultation Dr. Zemplenyi will
address your eyelid cosmetic concerns and will advise you on the various
blepharoplasty techniques available for their correction. While Dr. Zemplenyi will
provide you with his recommendation for your treatment, you will be
empowered to make an informed decision about those procedures best for
you. At times, the fullness in the upper eyelids may be caused by
gravity-induced descent of the eyebrows, and thus a brow lift may
be needed to fully correct the upper eyelid problem. Lower eyelid
surgery addresses removal of the fatty deposit and some of the skin
excess. Other techniques such as a chemical peel or
laser resurfacing may be recommended for treatment of more extensive
lower eyelid wrinkling and crow's feet. Non-invasive treatments
with fillers and Botox may be indicated in other
situations either as the main treatment or as an adjunctive
(complementary) procedure.
Surgery & Anesthesia
Our goal is to perform all surgeries without any patient recollection
of the procedure and with the least amount of discomfort, nausea or
other anesthetic side-effects. Dr. Zemplenyi performs
blepharoplasty most commonly under sedation "twilight sleep" anesthesia.
Please refer to the section on Anesthesia and Pre-operative instructions
for further information. The technique of blepharoplasty used will
be decided by you and Dr. Zemplenyi in the pre-operative consultation.
Often we combine blepharoplasty
with other of the many cosmetic procedures we offer.
Incisions are placed in skin creases of the upper eyelids and on the
inside surface or under the eye lashes of the lower eyelids, thus making
them almost invisible following the required healing time. Excess skin and fatty
tissue are carefully and conservatively removed, and the incisions are then closed.
Dr. Zemplenyi uses a radio-frequency cautery device for most of the
eyelid surgery resulting in a minimal amount bleeding and bruising.
The results are very similar to those physicians using a laser for
blepharoplasty which Dr. Zemplenyi finds less useful in his practice. Special
techniques are available to deal with particular situations such as in
Asian patients undergoing creation of a "double break" upper
eyelid crease (Asian blepharoplasty), or in the older patients
with droop of the upper eyelid
margin (ptosis, blepharoptosis), or with patients with lower
eyelid droop (ectropion). Following blepharoplasty, patients are discharged home
accompanied by a responsible adult usually within 30 to 45 minutes
following completion of the surgery.
After Your Surgery
Post-operative discomfort is quite easily controlled with prescribed
medications, and many patients do not feel the need to use the
prescribed narcotic medications at all or beyond the first 24 hours.
Application of ice compresses and elevation of the head tend to decrease
on swelling and bruising. Application of mild antibiotic ointment to the
incisions increases comfort, and artificial tears are sometimes used by
the patients to keep their eyes refreshed. A check-up visit
with Dr. Zemplenyi occurs within three days, and sutures from the upper
eyelids are removed in seven to eight days. While the amount of bruising is
minimized using our modern surgical techniques, the actual amount varies
and depends on individual circumstances. Most of the swelling and
bruising resolve in ten to fourteen days. Make-up can be applied after the first
week, and many patients return to work in less than one week using sun
glasses to camouflage the post-operative changes. Final cosmetic result is not achieved until
three to four months when all of the residual changes resolve.
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