Our eyes: they play a critical role in both our appearance and our communication with the outside world. Yet the delicate skin around the eyes is far-too-quickly damaged by time, gravity, and constant exposure to the sun, wind, and environmental toxins. The result—lines and wrinkles, puffy eyelids, sagging and drooping skin, and dark bags and circles under the eyes—is a perpetually tired or sad appearance that makes you look older than you feel.

Yet you need not accept these unwelcome alterations gracefully! Fight the effects of aging and exposure undermining your natural beauty with a blepharoplasty with Board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Jacob Bloom at Bloom Plastic Surgery in Chicago, IL. Also called a bleph, an eyelid lift or lid lift surgery, blepharoplasty can dramatically revitalize your entire appearance with precise, carefully-planned alterations to the upper and/or lower eyelids, depending on your specific needs and aesthetic goals, by:

• Removing excess skin that is creating extra skin folds of the upper eyelid
• Correcting ptosis (drooping) of one or both eyelids by tightening internal eyelid muscles
• Minimizing fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes (“crow’s feet”)
• Addressing swollen, puffy upper eyelids by excising excess fatty deposits
• Correcting eyelid laxity and/or puffiness around the lower eyelids
• Decreasing the visibility of dark circles and bags under the eyes

What are my blepharoplasty options?

Upper blepharoplasty addresses excess skin and ptosis (sagging, drooping skin) of the upper lid. If left uncorrected, the upper eyelid skin can hang over the eyelashes which creates hooding of the eyes that can eventually restrict the field of vision. In patients who have documented upper visual field defects, Dr. Bloom and his staff can help work with your insurance company to attempt to have surgery covered under your current policy.

The upper blepharoplasty procedure is one of the most powerful operations when considering the operative time and the final results. The procedure involves carefully removing excess skin and sculpting the underlying fat, In select cases, Dr. Bloom needs to lift the musculature of the upper eyelid to reduce doorping and ultimately enhance the shape and appearance of the eye.

Lower blepharoplasty addresses puffiness and/or sagging of the lower eyelid, as well as bags and dark circles under the eyes. Dr. Bloom utilizes five surgical techniques alone or in combination, depending on the anatomy and aesthetic goals of the patient.

• Transconjunctival blepharoplasty targets bagginess and puffiness under the eyes by removing or relocating excess fatty tissue through an incision inside the lower eyelid. This does not leave a visible scar and can be done alone in younger patients without additional incisions.
• Pinch blepharoplasty addresses wrinkled, drooping skin under the lower eyelid by precisely excising the excess skin. This leaves the deeper structures unaffected limiting potential complications.
• Transcutaneous blepharoplasty corrects both puffiness and excess skin through a single incision at the lash line. This option is usually reserved for patients requiring more significant rejuvenation which cannot be achieved with a combination transconjunctival and pinch blepharoplasty.
• Fat Transfer can be used to help enhance blepharoplasty results by returning volume that has been lost with the natural aging process. Using donor sites such as the neck or abdomen, your own harvested fat can be used for permanent correction of these deficiencies.
• AccuTite blepharoplasty can enhance lower eyelids with “microinvasive surgery” in patients with puffiness and limited lid laxity. Without an incision the tissue is internally heated to melt fat and tighten the underlying soft tissue as well as the superficial skin. When combined with radiofrequency microneedling using Morpheus 8 a surgical like result can be achieved in the office setting!

Details of the procedure and recovery

Blepharoplasty is performed as an outpatient procedure usually under IV sedation, although some patients may find they require general anesthesia or need only oral sedation with a local anesthetic. In patients appropriate for oral sedation, in office options for lower and upper eyelid correction are Dr. Bloom utilizes only state-of-the-art surgical techniques designed to safeguard the comfort of his patients while minimizing the risk for complications. For instance, Dr. Bloom utilizes continuous running sutures to close all upper eyelid incisions; these sutures can be quickly and comfortably removed seven days after your procedure. He uses absorbable sutures in the lower eyelid which do not require removal in the postoperative period, maximizing patient comfort.

Blepharoplasty requires at least three days of complete downtime, with post-operative follow-up visits within 3 days and within 7 days of surgery to monitor healing. During these first three days, patients should take Arnica Montana and use ice to reduce bruising and swelling. Dr. Bloom also encourages patients to remain upright as much as possible, including sleeping in a recliner or chair. The bruising and swelling will gradually subside over the course of about two weeks, during which time you can increase your range of activity; however, it is important to avoid increasing your heart rate, which may aggravate the swelling. While immediate results are seen within a week or two of surgery, final results are appreciated nine to twelve months postoperatively. Dr. Bloom will work carefully with you in the post-op period to help you manage your recovery process and enhance your ultimate outcome.

*Individual results may vary. Results not guaranteed.