Eyelid Surgery
 

There is no doubt that the eyes are the most attractive part of the face. People look us in the eye when talking to us. We use our eyes for expressions more than we use any other part of our face or body. Therefore, having tired, puffy or aged eyes is definitely something we don't want to live with. Our eyelids can sometimes make us look tired or sad even when we aren't.Age as well as hereditary factors can leave our eyelids with loose skin and/or fat making them look puffy or old.Every day of our life we open our eyes close them, squint,laugh and raise our brows. All these actions take their toll on the skin making it sag on our upper and lower eyelids. An eyelid surgery can correct these defects making our eyes look more open, rested and youthful.


 


What is an Eyelid Surgery?

Eyelid Tuck or "Blepharoplasty" is a surgical procedure where excess skin and fat is removed from the eyelids. There is an upper eyelid surgery and a lower eyelid surgery. You may choose to have the upper, lower or both eyelids corrected depending on your case and Dr. Metwally’s recommendation. After this procedure, most people won’t be able to tell what it is that changed in you but they will realize that you look prettier. Your eyes will appear to be more open, and you will look rested and fresh.
 

Are You a Good Candidate for an Eyelid Surgery?

You would be a good candidate for an eyelid surgery if you notice that your upper and/or lower eyelids look puffy. You may also look tired all the time, even if you sleep well at night. You may have bags in your upper or lower eyelids even if you’re young, or have had them since you were young. You may have a hard time applying eye make-up, or can’t see any of your eye-shadow when your eyes are open. Your mascara may smear onto your upper lids. You may have dark circles under your eyes from the shadows caused by your puffy lower lids. Eyelid surgery can be performed as early as the early twenties to rid the patient from fat pockets caused by hereditary factors, or at a later age once the skin has sagged for older candidates.

 




Preparing for Your Surgery

Before your surgery Dr. Metwally will perform a complete evaluation with you. You may have problems with your upper, lower or both eyelids. Some candidates have puffiness or bags on one eye more than the other. Others have very little space between there eyebrows and there eyes. All these factors will be taken into account during the evaluation and Dr. Metwally will explain to you the procedure that best serves your case. You will need to arrange for someone to drive you to and from our center the day of the surgery. You should wear loose fitting clothes and bear in mind that your outfit may get soiled. Do not wear jewelry, contact lenses, or bring valuables to the operating room. Remove all body jewelry from pierced body parts.





Duration of the Surgery

It takes around 30 to 45 minutes for the upper eyelids and 45 minutes to an hour for the lower eyelids. It takes around 1 hour and a half for both upper and lower eyelids.

Anesthesia Used

The surgery is usually performed under local anesthesia with sedation (you won’t be totally asleep but you will be relaxed and drowsy and won’t feel anything during the procedure). It can also be performed under general anesthesia (you will be asleep throughout the procedure). You will be ready to leave after 2 to 3 hours from the completion of your surgery depending on the anesthesia used.
 
 

During Your Surgery

In the upper eyelid a small incision is made where a natural eyelid fold will be created, then excess skin and fat are removed. In the lower eyelid, an incision is made just below the lash line (once healed is almost impossible for others to notice), and excess skin and fat are also removed. In candidates with only fat in their lower eyelids, with no excess skin, Dr. Metwally makes the incision on the inside of the lower lid, thereby removing the fat and leaving no trace what so ever on the outside of the lid.

 



After Your Surgery

After your surgery, you will find that your eyes have a small translucent plaster strip on each eyelid these will be removed with the stitches usually day 5 or 6. Stitches are internal (at the inside of each lid) and are simply removed by pulling one end of the stitch gently dragging it all out. You could use ice packs on your eyelids for the day of the surgery and the day after to help the swelling subside faster. Dr. Metwally will prescribe to you an antibiotic along with a pain killer to prevent infection and alleviate the pain. You will notice some swelling and bruising these will subside gradually within the first 7 to 10 days. For the first few days, you will see swelling and discoloration in the eye area this is absolutely normal. Asymmetry in the eyes almost always occurs, one eye may be more swollen than the other making the eyes look asymmetrical, this is also normal. You may feel that your eyes are numb and you feel like scratching them (please don’t). All of these effects subside during one week to ten days from your surgery. During the first three days your eyes will be swollen, by day four or five, you will notice a dramatic improvement. You can shower and start wearing make-up after your stitches are removed. You can go to work or go out as early as the 4th day wearing dark glasses to hide any swelling or discoloration.
  

Seeing Your Result

How soon the result starts to show often varies from one person to the other depending on many factors. Some people heal faster than others for reasons like age, skin color and skin type. Other factors are related to the level of correction made in the surgery like the amount of fat and excess skin removed and the surgeon’s skills. According to Dr. Metwally’s observation of his own patients, most of them start seeing results as early as the 7th day of the surgery and the final result usually takes 6 to 8 weeks. The result of a good eyelid surgery is usually everlasting.