Upper and Lower Eyelid Surgery
49-year-old female 3 months following bilateral upper and lower blepharoplasty and fat grafting to bilateral cheeks.
Are you developing “bags” or puffy eyelids or straining to keep your eyes open? Then consider an upper and/or lower blepharoplasty. At Orange County Cosmetic Surgery, Dr. Mowlavi will customize your eyelid surgery to erase all of your eyelid aging signs. Contact us to see if you can qualify for insurance coverage for your eyelid tuck surgery.
Recent advances in upper and lower eyelid blepharoplasties have dictated modifications of traditional techniques. Upper eyelid surgery has traditionally involved the removal of fat pads in addition to the redundant skin. However, critical evaluation of the aging face has demonstrated a natural tendency for the upper eyelid fat to melt away with time.
As such, a recent modification of the upper blepharoplasty has dictated a more conservative removal of the upper eyelid fat. In fact, patients who have previously undergone upper blepharoplasty with aggressive fat removal may complain of a gaunt or cachectic look as early as ten years following their surgery. These patients can regain appropriate fullness and rejuvenation with the replacement of fat in their eyelids. This is a process wherein fat is harvested from another part of the body and then transferred in microscopic amounts into areas that have lost fat.
Lower blepharoplasty is an intricate surgery of the lower eyelids that have traditionally been vulnerable to undesirable side effects. The surgeon has to operate a fine line when removing redundant eyelid skin so that enough skin is removed to create a rejuvenated eyelid contour yet not to cause a lower eyelid deformity resulting from the excessive pull and downward drag of the lid margin called an ectropion.
This deformity can be quite disfiguring to a patient. As such, Dr. Mowlavi utilizes an oblique vector of pull on the redundant skin which allows for the tension on the resultant eyelid skin to be transferred from a vertical (more susceptible to ectropion) to a more horizontal plane.
This maneuver allows Dr. Mowlavi to remove appropriate redundant skin while minimizing the risk of unsightly ectropion, having the lower eyelid turn outward, subjecting it to constant irritation. In addition, the lower eyelid, similar to the upper eyelid is prone to losing fat volume with age. The loss of fat will result in the raccoon eye appearance the surgeons call festoons.
This look can be complicated by not only deep-set eyes but also bulging lower eyelid contour created by herniated fat pads. Traditional lower blepharoplasty advocated aggressive removal of the fat pad only. Today, advances in lower blepharoplasty advocate not only conservative removal of the herniated fat pad but also the replacement of the fat pads back into the medial orbital and nasojugal groove to avoid leaving eyelid deformities.
Cost of eyelid surgery
The cost of eyelid surgery is determined by multiple factors including specific surgical maneuvers required to achieve your eyelid goals.
If you are interested in completing an upper blepharoplasty (eye lift), you can have your surgery under local anesthetic only which will save you the facility and anesthesia fees.
If you are interested in undergoing a lower blepharoplasty, you will require general anesthesia as the incision linen used underneath the eyelid margin is too close to your globe and your direct vision.
In addition, lower blepharoplasty is more intricate than just an upper blepharoplasty and often requires more invasive measures. For example, if your lower lid margin is loose, it may require tightening and support of the lower eyelid margin to the orbital bone, called canthoplasty or canthopexy, which will add more time to your surgery.
In summary, the cost of eyelid surgery can range from as little as $3,000 to a higher cost of $10,000 depending on what you require to achieve your goals.
Book a Free Consultation for Eyelid Surgery
The only way to really know and understand the cost of eyelid surgery is to consult with the doctor.
Most people tend to think these surgeries are simple but any procedure around the eye area must be undertaken with the utmost care and the latest techniques. Your current and future appearance must be taken into account to give you a natural-looking result that lasts as you age.
Once you meet with Dr. Mowlavi, he sees your face, then he will be able to determine what needs to done and will determine the cost of your procedure.
54 year old female 3 months following upper and lower blepharoplasty, fat grafting to bilateral cheeks, and CO2 facial laser resurfacing.
34 year old female 2 weeks following bilateral upper eyelid tuck and bilateral ear tuck.
Eyelid Surgery FAQs
Upper eyelids and tip rhinplasty
Upper eyelids and rhinoplasty isolated to your tip can be performed in the same session with local anesthetic solution only! This means that you can avoid being put completely under. It seems like you are trying to avoid a general anesthesia.
Upper bleph redone?
Cannot redo an upper eyelid bleph; you will have to be patient and allow your skin to stretch out on its own.
Mechanically injured droopy eyelid
A droopy eyelid is covered by insurance. Please make an appointment with a specialist so that your injury can be pinpointed so that you know what’s wrong with your eye.
Eye shape affected by blepharoplasty excision lines
Eye shape can be affected by the placement of blepharoplasty incision lines; the excision of the eyelid skin and subsequent closure places traction forces on the lids which then open up the eyes. In summary, placement of incision line can affect eye shape; you need to work with your surgeon during the markings so that you get the look you are desiring. Combining face and neck lift surgery with eyelid surgery is an excellent idea.
Eyelid redundancy
Eyelid skin redundancy following upper blepharoplasty can be corrected with ablative laser if you do not want to get cut again.
Droopy eyelids or deep nasojugal groove
What you likely have is deep nasojugal grooves which may benefit from filling with Radiesse. This will improve your look without having to cut on you at such a young age. I have used this filler in this area with great success and it provides long term correction well over one year.
Multiple facial procedures
Multiple facial procedures should be fine and will even save you money and recovery time.
Upper eyelid skin redundancy
Your best bet on getting your lids to look better is to have an upper eyelid tuck which can be done under local anesthetic solution so that you can avoid unnecessary fees for anesthesia or facility. Patients can be done and avoid grogginess associated with general anesthesia.
Droopy left eye
your droopy eyelid is likely caused by a loose lower lid margin. What you need is a canthopexy or plasty which will tighten and reposition you lid to improve symmetry.
Chalazion
I would start with eyedrop antibiotics and if not better then you may need to excise it by an eye specialist.
Low lid margin
Low lid margin is caused by redundant skin and dehisced muscle to tarsal plate attachment; both of these can be evaluated and treated independently for optimum results.
Time off for upper eyelids
Two weeks is the normal recovery period prior to returning to work but this might be different depending on your bruising propensity.
White bumps on incision lines
White bumps along incision line are common as there are a lot of glands in the upper eyelids and these can form small milia along a cut incision line as their ducts get blucked. These can usually be lanced or if very prominent they can be excised.
Quad bleph with not brow lift
The eyelids and brow are independently treated; the upper eyelid tuck is meant to remove redundant upper eyelid skin and to correct lid position; the browlift is intended to lift the brows; now performing a browlift will decrease some of the upper eyelid redundancy; but regardless, you would not perform a browlift unless the brows were droopy; if browlift is performed, then a more conservative upper bleph is needed
eyelid ptosis
It seems that you may have eyelid ptosis caused by a weak levator muscle or tendon; this can be corrected by performing a levatorplasty.
Eyes too close
in order to make the eyes look more apart, the nasal dorsum may be lowered. This is just an illusion but definitely feasable; if the nasal dorsum is brought out, it will make the eyes look closer together.
Hooding on your eyes
We perform upper eyelid blepharoplasty to correct hooding of the upper eyelids at our office with local anesthetic only. This means that your recovery is only a few hours since you will avoid the side effects of anesthesia. We recommend a virtual consultation with a eye specialist to discuss details of surgery and recovery.