Eyelid Surgery

Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)

This is one of the most common operations in aesthetic and plastic surgery. It might help to find an answer to the appearance of aging symptoms that might emerge above and below the eye. Both eyelids may be operated on at the same time or may be done separately. If the patient’s plans consider the whole face, it is common to perform the neck and face lifting first, and only then approach the eyelid operation. It is possible, however, to perform both simultaneously.

The first and most important step is a personal consultation with an experienced and licensed plastic surgeon. Eyelid surgery is an operation to remove not only the skin excess, but also the fat prolepses. The degree of movement is greater for the upper eyelids, thus large skin excesses will occur sooner or later. These excesses may also be caused by other factors: the type of skin, the tendency for the eyelid swelling with allergies, kidney illness and fat bag prolepses, especially of the inner edges.

Skin excess tends to be smaller in the lower eyelids. However, it is beneficial to visit a plastic surgeon early because surgical intervention becomes much more difficult when the skin of the lower eyelid has weakened. The operation will remove fat prolepses along the entire width of the lower eyelid, maintaining the natural tonus of the lower eyelid skin and preventing the formation of ugly bags below the eye.

It should be mentioned that the soft mimic wrinkles on the lower eyelid and outer edges of the eye are caused by the natural movement of face muscles and are permanent. They can be reduced with this operation in combination with botulotoxin and collagen injections or laser resurfacing.

Pre-operative Instructions

One month before the operation, do not use any medications containing acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin etc.). It can increase bleeding during and after the surgery.
It is assumed that no acute illnesses occurred in the period of at least three weeks before the planned operation (viral illness, cold, etc.). Report any and all illnesses to the clinic.
Drink two to three liters of mineral water daily three days before the operation, however, 6 hours before the operation do not drink, eat, or smoke.
Have a good night’s sleep the night before the operation; you should be well rested before the operation. No alcohol may be consumed the night before the operation.
Wash your hair the day before the operation and do not put any facial cream, milk or make-up on the day of the operation. Any jewelry, including earrings, should not be worn.
We recommend for you to be accompanied by a close person in the time of your stay in Prague, at the clinic and in your hotel/suite. Immediately after the operation, you must not drive any vehicle by yourself. 

Fig. Before & After Surgery

Operation

The operation is usually done under local anesthesia. However, for some patients it is an advantage to arrange for neurolept or general anesthesia, where the patient is sedated during the operation. The price of the operation is increased with these anesthesia options, and overnight hospitalization is mandatory.

After the face is disinfected and draped with sterile sheets, the plastic surgeon measures the exact amount of skin to be removed and marks this on the skin. The next step is administration of local anesthesia starting at the outer aspect of the eyelids and continuing towards the inner eyelids. Following, the skin sectioning is conducted, the excess skin is removed and the fat pads are exposed and also removed. Lastly, the incisions are sutured with very thin and disposable thread and small adhesive strips are placed over the sutures. Compressive bandages are administered in the patient’s room, where she/he has to rest for a few hours before being discharged from the clinic.

Post-operative Period

Eyelid swelling and bruising under the eyes are common post-operative syndromes. A resting regime and careful cold compresses applied with pressure are recommended for ten days. The stitches are removed on the fourth to sixth day after the operation.

After 14 days, the patient can apply cosmetics, including make-up, and return to sports and physical activities after three to four weeks. However, we strongly recommend avoiding direct sun light. Patients should wear sun-protective lotions, sunglasses and hats for six to eight weeks.