Eyes

Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)

“Everyone tells me that I look tired even though I feel great.”

Purpose- Our eyes are the centerpieces of our face. Eyelids come in various shapes and sizes and change as we age. The needs of one patient’s eyelids may be entirely different from another’s. The goal of both upper and lower eyelid surgery should be to restore the youthful appearance of the eyes and to allow additional light to enter and reflect against the eye itself. By doing so, patients look more refreshed and awake.

Procedure- When assessing the eyelids, it is important to address the position of the brow, the amount and degree of skin laxity, fine wrinkles, position of the eye fat, and vision. There are multiple approaches to eyelid surgery and each patient’s needs should be considered when choosing the correct procedure. Dr. Ladner may recommend additional procedures to complement the blepharoplasty and provide the best results. Incisions are always camouflaged, whether it is placed inside the eyelid or just below the eyelash line. Redundant skin and/or muscle is removed and the underlying fat is either removed or placed back into its original youthful position. Dr. Ladner then meticulously closes the incisions using fine sutures to avoid a scar. Depending on the individual patient needs, the procedure takes 1-2 hrs. Upper blepharoplasty can be performed under local anesthesia. Lower blepharoplasty is done under conscious sedation or general anesthesia. Together with Dr. Ladner, the appropriate anesthetic plan will be determined.

Recovery- Most patients can expect to return to work within 1 week of surgery. Eyelid swelling and bruising is common and generally disappears within 10 days. Bruising around the eyelids can be hidden with use of makeup. During the acute post-operative period, you will be asked to clean the incisions and apply a moisturizing ointment. Cold compresses and head elevation while sleeping will help to expedite the healing process. Sutures are removed within 7-9 days.

Browlift & Forehead Lift

Purpose- With aging we develop horizontal wrinkles in our forehead vertical lines between our eyes. In addition, the position of our eyebrows drops and causes hooding of the eyes due to excess skin. All of these changes can give an angry and tired appearance to the face. The goal of a forehead or brow lift should be to correct these changes giving a natural-appearing result. Over correction of the brow position can give an unnatural, startled appearance and must be avoided.

Procedure- Elevation of the brow and correction of the forehead wrinkles can be performed many ways and needs to be tailored to the shape of the forehead and position of the hairline. Despite this, most patients are candidates for the minimally-invasive, endoscopic browlift which makes use of small incisions hidden in the hair. Using an endoscope the size of a drinking straw, visualization can be achieved through small incisions. The forehead tissue and brow is elevated and released off of the underlying connective tissue. The muscles that create the furrows between the eyes are then clipped to get rid of the angry, scowl look. The brows are then re-suspended in their ideal location and the incisions are closed. The procedure usually takes about 1 hr. It can be performed under conscious sedation or general anesthesia. Together with Dr. Ladner, the appropriate anesthetic plan will be determined.

Recovery- Down time is minimal after a browlift, and most patients should be able to return to work within a couple days. Headache is a common complaint after the procedure but is easily controlled with over-the-counter or prescription pain medications. Swelling and bruising is minimal. The sutures or staples are removed within 10 days.