Eyelid Lift Surgery in Tampa

Eyelid surgery also blepharoplasty is a surgical procedure employed for the improvement of eyelid appearances. Eyelid surgery can be performed on the lower or upper lids, as well as on both at the same time.

Eyelid surgery can effectively enhance the area around your eyes, regardless of whether you intend to uplift your appearance or are experiencing eyelid function issues.

The Benefits of Eyelid Surgery

Eyelid surgery can specifically be used to treat:

Bags under eyes and wrinkles
Drooping lower eyelids revealing whites underneath the iris
Excess fat deposits appearing as chronic puffiness of the upper eyelids.
Loose and sagging skin creating folds and disturbing upper eyelid’s natural contours, which might impair vision
Excess skin and fine wrinkles on lower eyelids

Types of Eyelid Surgery

Eyelid surgery is divided into three broad categories.

The first category is the lower eyelid blepharoplasty, performed on the lower eyelid and mostly utilized to modify eye bags or improve wrinkled appearances of the skin around the eyes.
The second type is the double eyelid surgery and through this surgery, a crease in the upper eyelid is created, resulting in a double-lidded look that is deemed desirable, particularly to Asians.
The third type is the upper eyelid surgery, which is mainly used to correct functionality. Among elderly folk, the upper eyelid might lose its usual elasticity, causing drooping eyelids and even inversion, which might lead to blindness. Upper eyelid surgery is capable of restoring visual function to the affected individual.

Costs of Eyelid Lift Surgery in Tampa, FL

The average eyelid lift surgery approximate cost is $2,874, and this is according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons statistics of the year 2014. However, blepharoplasty costs can widely vary, and the average fee referenced is not inclusive of operation, room facilities, anesthesia, or any other related expenses. The surgeon’s fee for eyelid surgery will differ depending on the procedure used, experience, and geographical location.

Most of the plastic surgeons offer financing plans to patients, which helps to cover blepharoplasty costs, so be sure to ask.
Factors that contribute to eyelid surgery cost include:

Medical tests
Hospital or surgical facility expenses
Surgeon’s fee
Anesthesia fees
Prescriptions for medication

When deciding on a board certified surgeon for eyelid lift surgery, your comfort with the surgeon in addition to their experience, are as equally important as the final surgical costs.
Insurance and eyelid surgery

Generally, health insurances do not cover cosmetic surgery or complications related to eyelid surgery.

When the aim of performing eyelid surgery is the elimination of the redundant skin covering your eyelashes, it may then be covered by insurance, although it is advisable to review your policy carefully.

Risks and safety information

Undergoing surgery is a personal decision, and you alone will have to weigh the available options and decide on whether this will help you achieve your goals, and if the potential risks pertaining to eyelid surgery are acceptable.

Ensure you thoroughly understand the process of surgery and recuperation, and never hesitate to ask questions whenever you have concerns. The risks involved in eyelid surgery include:

Poor healing of the wound
Swelling and bruising
Anesthetic risks
Change in skin sensation
Sensitivity to the sun and any other bright sources of light
Bleeding from incision lines
Persistent pain
Temporary and at times permanent alteration of vision, plus a highly unlikely possibility of blindness
Dryness to the eyes
Difficulty in closing your eyes
Lid lag, which is the pulling down of your lower eyelid, though often temporal
Unfavorable scarring
Ectropion, an outward rolling of your eyelid
Infection
Need for revision surgery

Prior to your surgical consent, all of these risks will be discussed in full. It is therefore of significant importance for you to inform your attending surgeon of all your concerns regarding the surgical procedure.

Recovery after Eyelid Lift Surgery

During the recovery period that comes after your eyelid surgery, cold compresses and lubricating ointments might be applied. In some of the cases, the eyes may have to be loosely covered using gauze after completion of the procedure.

You will be provided with specific instructions. These include how to care effectively for your eyes, specific concerns to be on the lookout for in the surgical site or general health, medications either for application or ingestion to assist recovery and also reduce infection chances, and when to conduct a follow-up checkup with your surgeon.

Initially, the healing process may be accompanied by some irritation, bruising, swelling, dryness of the eyes, and discomfort, which can all be controlled using medication, ointments, and cold compresses. The incision sites will most likely be irritable.
It is a strong recommendation that you ask your attending surgeon specific questions regarding what to expect during your personal recovery period. Common concerns include;

Where you will be taken immediately after completion of your surgery
Whether stitches will be removed and when
Whether you will have dressings after surgery
When to return for check-up care
When removal of the dressings, if any, occurs
What type of prescribed medication you will have to take after surgery
When you might be able to resume normal exercises and activities.

Protection after eyelid surgery

You will have to practice diligent sun protection and utilize dark and tinted sunglasses from immediately after the operation throughout the healing process.

Eyelid surgery procedure
An eyelid surgery procedure will generally include the following steps:

Step 1: Anesthesia
Anesthetic medications are administered to provide comfort during this surgical procedure, with choices being either general anesthesia or intravenous sedation. Your physician is in charge of deciding the best option for you.

Step 2: The incision
Designing of the incision lines for the eyelid surgery, the resulting scars will consequently be well hidden within the eyelid region’s natural structures.

Correction of your upper eyelid can be done via an incision within the natural creases on that particular eyelid, allowing for the repositioning or removal of fat deposits, removal of excess skin and tightening of muscles.

On the other hand, your lower eyelid conditions can be corrected using an incision made just below your lower lash line. The removal of the excess skin in your lower eyelid is also through this very incision, with excess fat either removed or repositioned.

A trans-conjunctiva incision, created on the inner side of your lower eyelid, provides an alternate technique for the correction of lower eyelid conditions as well as redistribution or removal of excess fat. When using this technique, there is no skin removed.

Step 3: Closing the incisions
The incisions of eyelid are typically closed using:

Surgical tape
Skin adhesives
Removable sutures

To reduce the discoloration of your lower eyelids, your surgeon might suggest using a laser or even chemical peel.

Step 4: See the results
Gradually and as the bruising and swelling subside, the results of your eyelid surgery will be visible, revealing a smooth and better-defined eyelid inclusive of the surrounding region, plus a rejuvenated and alert appearance.

Candidates for eyelid surgery

Good candidates for eyelid surgery are;

Non-smokers
Healthy persons who are devoid of life threatening illnesses or medical conditions that might affect the healing process.
Persons lacking serious eye conditions
People with positive expectations and set goals for eyelid surgery.

Keep in mind that eyelids are part of your face, and the appearance of a droopy upper eyelid might additionally be due to the relaxation of your eyebrows and forehead skin. At other times, drooping eyelids can be caused by the stretching of a single upper eyelid muscle, the levator.

Your physician will perform a thorough evaluation of your anatomy to determine the exact causes of your eyelid appearance, plus the procedures best placed to rectify the condition.

Preparing for your eyelid surgery

For an efficient preparation for eyelid surgery, your physician might ask you to;

Avoid the ingestion of aspirin, herbal supplements and anti-inflammatory drugs, which can cause increased bleeding
Get a laboratory testing or a medical evaluation
Quit smoking
Start taking specific medications, or adjust the medications you are currently taking.

Eyelid surgery should be performed in a licensed ambulatory surgical center, outpatient as well as accredited office-based surgical facility, or hospital. Ensure you arrange for your transportation to and from surgery, and someone who can stay with you the first night after surgery.

Eyelid surgery results

The outcome of eyelid surgery is usually long-lasting, with your final results appearing within the first several weeks, although it could take up to a year for the incision lines to fully heal.

While you can confidently expect eyelid lift surgery to permanently correct certain conditions, remember that you naturally continue to age. Life-long sun protection significantly assists in the maintenance of the desirable results.

As you progressively recover from eyelid surgery, you will find that you are more satisfied with your new image, and as the bruising and swelling subside, the results of your eyelid surgery reveal a better-defined and smooth eyelid plus surrounding areas in addition to an alert and rejuvenated appearance.

Although the surgical procedure is expected to yield excellent results, no guarantees can be given, and in some of the cases, the achievement of optimal results might not be possible after just one surgical procedure, meaning that an additional surgical procedure might be necessary.

The success of your surgery will greatly depend on your ability to adhere to your physician’s instructions. It is additionally imperative for the surgical incisions not to be subject to abrasion, excessive force, or sudden motions during the recovery period.

Your attending surgeon will also provide specific instructions on how to best care for yourself during recovery.

Words to know about eyelid surgery:

Blepharoplasty: Eyelid surgery to enhance the appearance of lower eyelids, upper eyelids, or both
General anesthesia: medication employed to alter consciousness and relieve pain during an operation.
Ectropion: outward rolling of the lower eyelid after eyelid surgery, which is often a temporary condition.
Hematoma: Pooling of blood underneath the skin.
Local anesthesia: A drug directly injected into the incision site during an operation, relieving pain.
Intravenous sedation: Sedatives administered through injections into a vein to help relax patients.
Trans-conjunctiva incision: An incision that is concealed inside the lower eyelid.
Sutures: Stitches employed by surgeons for holding together of skin and tissue.
Skin resurfacing: Treatment for the improvement of clarity, texture, and overall skin appearance.

Consultation for eyelid surgery
During the consultations for your eyelid surgery, prepare for discussions concerning:

Any previous surgeries
Your operational goals
Current medications, herbal supplements, vitamins, alcohol, tobacco, or any drug you might be using
Your medical conditions, previous medical treatments, drug allergies, and specific issues that you may have had regarding your eyes.

Your attending surgeon will additionally:

Discuss the specific type of anesthesia that will be applied during your surgery
Examine and evaluate your overall health status, including any pre-existing conditions or risk factors
Discuss your options for eyelid surgery
Take photographs
Recommend the most suitable course of treatment
Discuss the likely results of eyelid surgery plus the potential risks

It is natural to be anxious, regardless of whether it is excitement about your anticipated new appearance or preoperative stress, so do not hesitate or be shy to discuss these feelings with your attending surgeon.

Choose a surgeon you can trust

Eyelid surgery invariably involves a lot of choices, the very first and probably most important being the selection of a reliable and trustworthy surgeon. A certified member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) is your best bet when it comes to reliability and trustworthiness among surgeons.

Do not get confused by any other official sounding certifications and boards. The ABPS is a recognized body by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), which has been approving medical specialty boards since 1934.