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More than any other facial feature, the eyes have a tremendous impact on your appearance. For many, it can be a negative impact. Unfortunately, your eyes are often the first place to show signs of aging. This is because the skin around your eyes is half as thick as on the rest of your face. It also has fewer oil glands, weaker internal support and gets more exercise than even your mouth. All that, combined with hereditary factors, sun damage, stress and fatigue, explain why the eyelids are often the first to go. And why so many people, young and old, men and women, can benefit from eyelid surgery. It can really make a big difference in the way you look. Eyelid surgery can remove bags, pouches and excess skin from under and over the eyes. It can sometimes help those whose vision has been impaired by sagging skin or fat. Sometimes it's accompanied by a forehead and eyebrow lift----two terrific procedures that can often lessen forehead wrinkles and creases, and raise drooping, sagging eyebrows. The eyelid surgery procedure usually takes about an hour. Your ultimate incision in the upper eyelid will fall within the naturally occurring crease. Excess skin and underlying muscle tissue as well as the fat pads from the upper eyelids will be taken out in a pattern resembling a French curve. The upper eyelid incision is then closed with a pullout suture placed immediately below the skin edge resulting in a surgical scar generally inconspicuous almost immediately following the procedure. Depending on the degree of problems in the lower eyelid, Dr. Lamb will determine which of the various techniques is most applicable to your anatomy. For puffiness with minimal skin laxity, an incision is made on the inside of the eyelid and small amounts of fat are removed from the three anatomic fat pads within the lower eyelid. For greater degrees of skin laxity and laxity within the eyelid itself, the incision line for the lower eyelids is generally placed at the lower lash line margin and extended just slightly beyond the lateral corner of the eye in a naturally occurring crow's foot crease. Excess fat is trimmed and sagging orbicularis muscle is resuspended and excess skin and muscle trimmed. The incision line closure is generally inconspicuous almost immediately following surgery. Through a similar approach the entire midface and cheek can be resuspended to achieve a more youthful central face without the traditional amount of surgical dissection and incision scars associated with a facelift. After surgery, you may experience some soreness and discomfort, although pain is generally mild and is easily controlled by medication which will be prescribed. Typically, most patients are up and around a day or two after surgery, although one should take it easy for seven to ten days without strenuous activity. Some visual blurring may be evident within the first two to four days as well, a result of swelling around the eye. The sutures usually come out in four to five days, and bruising and swelling are usually mild. Any residual bruising can be covered with make-up following suture removal. Sometimes, patients may experience excessive tearing or sensitivity to bright light or wind for a brief period after surgery. If you tend to have dryness in your eyes, it may be necessary to use artificial tears and nighttime ointments for a few weeks to a few months. Most of your friends and fellow workers won't know you've had eyelid surgery unless you tell the, though many will probably remark on your improved appearance. There is usually a substantial improvement that will prompt people to comment on it. You will be amazed at how a little improvement in your eyes can have such a dramatic impact on both your physical appearance and your mental attitude. Afterwards you should look refreshed and alert. Many patients look considerably younger and healthier as well. And when you look in the mirror and see a brighter, happier, younger-looking face looking back, you may feel younger too. |
Dr. Jerome Lamb, M.D. 4820 South Arrowhead Drive (816) 795-5262 |
