Dr. Jay Orringer in Los Angeles – Eyelid Plastic Surgery (Blepharoplasty)

With age, people frequently note an excess of skin and puffiness in their upper and lower eyelids. Blepharoplasty plastic surgery usually involves removal of redundant skin and fat from the eyelids. It can also address the drooping upper eyelid and sagging lower eyelid. For younger patients with baggy lower eyelids, redundant fat can be removed with an incision made inside the eyelid, instead of externally. However, blepharoplasty surgery will not eliminate crow’s feet or dark circles.

At Dr. Orringer’s Los Angeles practice, eyelid surgery is often done in combination with brow lift or other plastic surgery procedures. The redundant soft tissues of the aging upper eyelid are often the result of excess eyelid skin and fat combining with the brow's soft tissues, which have descended upon the eyelid as a result of gravity. When appropriate, blepharoplasty may be done at the same time as a facelift.

The Eyelid Surgery Consultation

When you come to our Los Angeles office for any plastic surgery procedure, Dr. Orringer will typically spend 45 minutes to an hour obtaining your medical history, examining your facial features, and discussing in detail your concerns, as well as his observations and recommendations. In addition to eyelid contour and appearance, brow position and forehead contour will be assessed. Sometimes, a brow lift will be recommended to potentially optimally enhance the upper eyelid, brow and forehead appearance. Dr. Orringer usually does the brow lift using limited incisions and an endoscope.

The Surgery

The surgery is done at the state-of-the-art Surgery Center of Santa Monica. This modern, accredited facility is located two blocks north of Saint John’s Hospital in Los Angeles. Anesthesia for eyelid plastic surgery procedures is usually a combination of local and intravenous sedation. If the eyelid surgery is done in conjunction with a brow lift or facelift, general anesthesia is used. Regardless, a board-certified anesthesiologist is in attendance, monitoring the patient’s vital signs and comfort throughout. The redundant skin of the upper eyelids is marked and removed along with any underlying excess fat. Lower eyelid fat and skin is removed through an incision beneath the lash line or an internal eyelid incision (for fat removal only).

Local anesthesia is placed in the eyelids at the time of the plastic surgery. Postoperative pain is usually well-controlled with oral analgesia and a cold mask or frozen peas in baggies. Sutures are removed on the fifth to seventh day. Swelling and bruising are usually largely resolved 10 to 14 days after surgery. Makeup can be applied after one week. Strenuous exercise should be avoided for one month.

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What are some of the particular concerns regarding eyelid surgery?

While most patients are quite pleased, blepharoplasty surgery, like any plastic surgery, has potential risks that must be considered. Scars will be visible to some degree, though they usually fade over time and can typically be concealed with makeup. Eyelid shape is changed, and the position can be altered. Also inherent to eyelid plastic surgery is the rare risk of temporary or permanent loss of vision. Occasionally dryness of the eyes can occur.

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Making the Decision

Every plastic surgery procedure has inherent benefits, risks and limitations. Dr. Orringer wants you to feel comfortable asking any and every question that you may have at your initial consultation, preoperative visit or at any time you need help in determining whether or not eyelid surgery is right for you. He believes that taking enough time at his Los Angeles office to discuss, plan, and perform your individual plastic surgery procedure exactly as you want it is time well spent. Contact cosmetic surgeon Jay Orringer today to find out whether blepharoplasty could be the right choice for you.

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