With age, drooping of the eyebrows, looseness of the upper eyelid skin, and bulging fat cause the upper eyelids to lose their definition.  This excess tissue can lead to a sad, tired, or angry appearance, make the actual lid surface (for applying make-up) smaller, and, in the worst cases, even block peripheral vision.  An upper blepharoplasty (blef-ah-ro-plast-ee) or eyelid lift is a surgery designed to remove excess or bulging tissue and “open up” the eyes by restoring the eyes to their rightful place as the focal point of an attractive face. 

Reasons for getting an Upper Blepharoplasty

• Excess skin or bulging tissue on the upper eyelids.
• A sad, tired, or angry appearance due to excess upper eyelid tissue.
• Little upper eyelid left to apply makeup.
• Peripheral (to the side) vision is blocked when you look up and to the side while driving or during other activities.

Note: If your vision is severely blocked, this procedure may be covered by insurance.

General Procedure

At our facility, an upper blepharoplasty is performed under deep sedation.  By itself, an upper eyelid lift takes about one hour.  An upper blepharoplasty is frequently combined with other procedures, most often the forehead lift.

The incisions in an upper eyelid lift are hidden in the eyelid creases and extend laterally to the skin between the eyebrow and the lid.  This allows Dr. Marotta to tighten any overhanging skin that can be left with other techniques.  With adequate healing, these incisions fade with time to the point of imperceptibility.  The underlying bulging fat is removed and the incisions are closed with fine sutures.

Recovery

Immediately after surgery, ice packs will be applied to the lids to help minimize swelling.  We recommend head of bed elevation and light activity in the immediate postoperative period.  Patients generally report little pain with eyelid surgery.  

You will have frequent postoperative visits with Dr. Marotta to monitor your progress.  The extent of your recovery largely depends on what other procedures may have been performed.  Recovery and healing from upper blepharoplasty alone can be quite rapid and the sutures are removed three days following surgery.  Some patients return to work in as little as one week.