Plastic Surgery Circulatory Surgery Digestive Surgery Muscular Surgery Reproductive Surgery |
Description - Video - After Surgery Blepharoplasty can be both a functional or cosmetic surgical procedure intended to reshape the upper eyelid or lower eyelid by the removal and/or repositioning of excess tissue as well as by reinforcement of surrounding muscles and tendons. When an advanced amount of upper eyelid skin is present, the skin may hang over the eyelashes and cause of loss of peripheral vision. The outer and upper parts of the visual field are most commonly affected and the condition may cause difficulty with activities such as driving or reading. In this circumstance, upper eyelid blepharoplasty is performed to improve peripheral vision. Patients with a less severe amount of excess skin may have a similar procedure performed for cosmetic reasons. Lower eyelid blepharoplasty is almost always done for cosmetic reasons, to improve puffy lower eyelid "bags" and reduce the wrinkling of skin. Blepharoplasty is performed through external incisions made along the natural skin lines of the eyelids, such as the creases of the upper lids and below the lashes of the lower lids, or from the inside surface of the lower eyelid. Initial swelling and bruising take one to two weeks to resolve but at least several months are needed until the final result becomes stable. Depending upon the scope of the procedure, the operation takes one to three hours to complete Expect to wake up on the morning after surgery, study yourself in the mirror, and then seriously question why you even considered doing such a thing to yourself. Swelling can be extreme, and sometimes it may feel as if your eyes will barely open. Fortunately, improvement is usually rapid. Once you are upright, gravity will help to drain some of the swelling down into your cheeks. Blinking helps to "pump" away some of this initial inflammatory swelling that builds up while you are lying flat. Over the first few days, you may feel that your cheeks resemble those of a chipmunk storing acorns, and the bruising may discolor your swollen cheeks all the way down to your chin (although, both of these extremes are uncommon). The difference between eyelid bruising and most other bruises you have ever experienced is that the eyelids don't require much blood to grow intensely colored. Even a few drops of blood mixed in with tissue fluid can tint the thin skin of the eyelid region (much like food coloring, where one or two drops turn the whole bowl of white frosting pink). The routine use of oral corticosteroids (for example, prednisone) is of little proven value, while the risks of taking such medications are very well documented. The intense red color of the first few days will give way to a muddy purple and finally a yellow hue that appears just prior to full disappearance. Often, the last area to clear is at the top of the cheek (where a creme concealer makeup can be quite effective). The clear conjunctiva lining the sclera (white) of the eye may become lifted up like a blister, a not uncommon development known as chemosis. If a drop of blood happens to color that fluid, the white of the eye may even appear red. Think of this as another superficial "bruise" that will resolve like your skin bruising. Since chemosis can push the lower eyelid slightly away from the eyeball, use of an over-the-counter moisturizing eyedrop and avoidance of dust and wind may help the eye to feel more comfortable. If you become discouraged by your early appearance, just remember that swelling and bruising always disappear. As you finally start to notice some signs of improvement, don't be disappointed if the next morning you look a little worse. This pattern of "better in the evening-worse in the morning" may persist for several weeks and is related to lying flat while sleeping. Don't worry about it, and don't make yourself miserable trying to sleep upright in a chair. If itching becomes too bothersome, switch back to the cold compresses (the way you did on the day of your surgery). Numbness of the upper lashes is an interesting but temporary nuisance. While most men never notice it, lack of sensation can drive a lady trying to put on her makeup almost mad. Rest assured that the feeling will start to return at around 4-6 weeks and be back to normal within two to three months.
|
