Lidlift Kenneth D. Steinsapir, M.D.
Cosmetic, Facial & Eye Plastic Surgery

There are a number of good reasons to seek upper eyelid surgery and clients have come to Dr. Steinsapir with a wide variety of concerns.  Some have visual problems caused by ptosis, normally referred to as droopy eyelids, which gives not only the appearance of advanced age and sleepiness but can also impair vision.  Others have concerns about asymmetry, side effects of problems like lazy eye, and other conditions.  Some wish to look younger and more alert seeking to correct their tired, puffy, small, or droopy eyes while still others may be dissatisfied with previous surgeries.  Some wish for the eyes to appear larger or for an improved double fold crease above the eyelid.  Whatever your concern, it is important to learn about how different procedures can help your particular situation.  By reading this article you will have begun this education.  Congratulations on taking this important step!

Which Procedure Do I Need?

Due to the individual nature of each human eye we cannot over-emphasize the importance of an individual consultation.  Learning about different procedures is a good place to start but it is common for people to misjudge which procedures will be most beneficial.  We’ll go over some procedures in this article to help you understand how to approach and understand your doctor, but remember that no online reference can provide the insights you might receive during a personal consultation with a specialist like Dr. Steinsapir, a Fellow of the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Blepharoplasty, also known as the eyelift or eyelid surgery, can vastly improve the aesthetics of your entire face by focusing on improving the appearance of the eyes.  In this procedure, your surgeon will remove excess skin and fatty tissue that make your eyes look droopy, inflated, or otherwise less than optimal.  After surgery, patients presenting this concern appear younger, refreshed, and more lively.  The benefits are often more than simply aesthetic; removing this excess tissue frequently improves peripheral vision that was previously blocked, hampering the individual’s full visual capacity.  Some insurance plans cover blepharoplasties that improve your vision but generally only when the axis of vision is blocked by eyelid tissue.  Most of us can’t afford to wait that long for surgery if we want to be taken seriously in a social setting.

Other forms of eyelid surgery or filling methods may be appropriate depending on your needs. Some people who are dissatisfied with the appearance of their eyes may actually benefit most from a midface or forehead procedure.  This can be surprising to someone whose primary concern is their eyes, but when they learn about how the entire facial anatomy interacts with the eyes, they see how other procedures can open up or otherwise improve the eyes.  In this article, we focus on those for whom upper eyelid surgery is the best option – however, you should be open to the possibility that a different procedure may be more suitable to your unique needs and can immensely improve the appearance of your eyes.

A Delicate Procedure

The eyes are perhaps the most important feature on the face because they enable us to see the world.  We also use the eyes, the eyelids, and the eyebrows to communicate how we are feeling. The eyes are extremely important in what makes a face interesting and attractive. This attractiveness is generally not as subjective as many would like to believe, but rather stems from a deeply in grained need to scan the face and eyes for evidence of interest, health, and other aesthetic concerns. An eyelift helps improve our eyelid structure to help restore an appearance of youth and friendly interest.  Getting a natural result that achieves these goals requires a surgeon with experience in performing eye surgeries successfully and with finesse.  Upper eyelid surgery is a safe procedure that yields great results, which are maximized when performed by a highly experienced and respected oculoplastic surgeon.

Because the fine details of the eye are so important in this particular procedure, surgeons who specialize in treating the eyelids will be able to give you the best results. Your doctor must balance numerous factors at once, accounting for the dynamic nature of the face and the surrounding muscles and tissues that surround and protect the eyes.  During an eyelid lift procedure, it is especially important to preserve and in some cases improve the upper eyelid fold since the placement and shape of this crease can give feminine or masculine qualities to the face.  For example, in women the crease is naturally about eight millimeters above the eyelash.  A surgery intending to create or improve this crease requires an incision about six or seven millimeters above the eye, which will heal to a height of the ideal eight millimeters.  Such precision is very important in obtaining the best possible results.

The eyelid platform skin needs correct tension to maintain the upward tilt of the eyelashes.  A talented oculoplastic surgeon can do this and more with precision, while performing the blepharoplasty so that the brain communicates with the face correctly.  This will restore your facial features to their optimally functional and most attractive state.  An experienced oculoplastic surgeon also understands how the forehead interacts with the eyes to give you the best results.

Do not let the complexities of eyelid surgery deter you from pursuing treatment.  Consider yourself informed and better equipped to find your ideal surgeon.  Qualified surgeons can balance all these dynamics with precision, expertise and insight to give you the results you desire.  When seeking a doctor look at the doctor’s before-and-after eyelift photos for an indication of his or her abilities.

What to Expect

Before surgery your doctor should examine you and ask about your medical history, giving special attention to your eyes.  With the information gleaned from a consultation and examination, your doctor will meticulously plan the most appropriate procedures, detailing how to execute them with exactness catered toward your particular case.  The doctor should spend time talking with you about your needs and treatment goals.  This way, you will both know exactly what to expect from whichever procedure you agree is ideal.

Your doctor will help you understand what to do and expect before, during, and after surgery.  Before surgery, he or she will instruct you to avoid certain medications and herbs.  Upper blepharoplasty complications should be unusual, and eliminating a few substances that can affect blood clotting will make the surgery even safer.  If there are certain medications you must take for health reasons, your doctor will be able to answer your questions about whether this will affect your surgery and healing and together you can discuss the best course of action.

Upper eyelid surgery is a remarkably comfortable procedure that is best done under local anesthesia.  General anesthesia is not advised because the best and most precise results require the patient to cooperate with the surgeon during surgery by opening and closing his or her eyes when prompted.  This helps the doctor to see how the surgery is working and the precise actions needed.  The surgery will not hurt and you will likely feel relaxed and comfortable.  It may take 1 to 2 hours, which is a good indication that your doctor is working with care and precision. It can take up to twenty or thirty minutes to perfectly mark the upper and lower lines of the procedure before proceeding.  A doctor who works slowly is applying the thought and attention that yield the best results instead of taking a one-size fits all approach.

Your doctor may advise you to refrain from certain strenuous activities while you recover.  Generally patients feel ready to return to work and social activities after seven to ten days, when their swelling is minimal and they’re feeling great.  Many lidlift patients report that they need no or minimal painkillers after surgery because they feel so comfortable.

Combining Surgeries

Because eye surgery is such a detailed procedure that requires localized anesthesia, it is usually not advised to combine it with procedures that may temporarily alter the appearance of your eyes, compromise your ability to cooperate during surgery, or require that the doctor work on a tight schedule.  Because the first hour of anesthesia tends to be the most expensive one, it can be tempting to opt for the “blue plate special” but we advise you to reconsider.  Having only the necessary eye procedures performed at once will help you and your doctor see precise results.  Your doctor will talk with your regarding what surgeries are appropriate to combine.

Seeking a Consultation

Some people are nervous and put off seeking a valuable eye surgery because of the fear of the unknown.  This concern is understandable and may be lessened or even eliminated by simply consulting with a surgeon.  Once you talk to the doctor and learn more about how he or she can help and what to expect, you may find that your worries diminish.  The unknown can be frightening – once you connect to a real, live doctor in whom you feel confident, you’ll likely feel much better.

Dr. Steinsapir is renowned for his experience, talent, and insight in performing eyelid surgeries.  He specializes in minimally invasive oculofacial surgery and is respected as one of the top eye plastic and ophthalmic microsurgery experts in Los Angeles.  Dr. Steinsapir has completed multiple fellowships that make him particularly qualified to perform the most delicate upper eyelid procedures.   He is an Associate Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the Jules Stein Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Dr. Steinsapir offers the personal time, talent and precision necessary to give you the best results.

Remember that a consultation does not mean you have to commit to surgery if you still feel uneasy.  There is no harm in seeking more information, so contact us today for your personalized consultation.