Surgery for droopy eyelids (blepharoplasty): procedure, risks and price

Fortunately or unfortunately, Time passes for everyone. As the human being ages, bone problems, hormonal imbalances, wrinkles and various dysfunctions appear, both aesthetic and physiological.

This is completely normal. Aging is further proof that we are still alive and therefore it is not healthy to try to fight the concept of getting older. Even so, we are in an age in which surgical interventions for aesthetic purposes are at the fore. order of the day, as each time we move further away from our biological limitations imposed by age or environment.

Thus, it is estimated that the cosmetic surgery moves more than 9,000 million euros annually around the world. From mammoplasty to liposuction, there is no visible area of our body covered by skin that cannot be retouched. This is the case of blepharoplasty or surgery for droopy eyelids, an extremely popular intervention among the population. In this opportunity, we will tell you everything about her.

We recommend you read: "The 17 most common aesthetic retouching in Spain"

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What is eyelid ptosis or blepharoptosis?

Before describing the surgery itself, we need to know the problem it is trying to solve. Eyelid ptosis or blepharoptosis is defined as a permanent excessive drooping of the upper eyelid. In adults, the most common cause of ptosis is progressive stretching of the levator eyelid muscle, which occurs naturally with age.

There are also other reasons why blepharoptosis can arise: congenital ptosis, for example, is caused by an alteration of the development of the levator muscle in the embryonic stage, which is why the individual is born with drooping eyelids and shows them like this throughout their entire lifetime. Although less common, eyelids can also droop from events such as diabetes, myasthenia gravis, strokes, and many other conditions. In general, we can describe the underlying reason for blepharoptosis in three points:

Weakness of the muscle that elevates the eyelid.
Damage to the nerves that control that muscle.
Sagging of the skin of the upper eyelids.

Like we have already said, these causes can find their answer in the aging process, in a congenital malformation or in certain pathologies.

You need to understand that, in many cases, blepharoptosis is not just a cosmetic problem. Some patients may manifest reduced vision due to this drooping of the eyelid, which hinders the performance of daily functions and proper performance in work tasks and social. On the other hand, it is also relatively common for simple congenital ptosis to present a drop in only one of the two eyes (75% of cases), a fact that shows a facial asymmetry that goes beyond “I want to see myself more young".

Be that as it may, the reason that drives blepharoplasty is individual and unique and, therefore, the justification lies in individual motivation. It is not necessary to explain why a person wants to undergo a surgery process: from lack of vision to aesthetic discontent, every reason is valid.

What is blepharoplasty?

We have already explained the condition that we are trying to solve, so we are ready to put our hands on the scalpel and tackle blepharoplasty or surgery for droopy eyelids. First of all, it should be noted that this surgical intervention is performed in a surgeon's office or in a medical center as outpatient surgery, that is, it is necessary to undergo surgery.

It should be noted, as a preface to the procedure, that blepharoplasty accounts for 10-15% of surgical interventions general worldwide and amounts to 50% if only facial surgeries are considered. We are facing a very common problem in society against which many decide to act: if you are considering going through the operating room for this condition, you are not alone.

The procedure

We have good news, so the procedure is very minimally invasive. The specialist injects a local anesthetic in the affected area, so that the patient does not feel any pain or discomfort during the process. After this, the surgeon proceeds to make a series of incisions in the folds or folds of the eyelids, to through which he removes the flaccid skin and excess fatty tissues and tightens the muscle that was fallen. Finally, the incisions are closed and the tissues that have been opened during the operation are sewn together. As simple as that.

The patient can go home the same day of the operation without further ado. Even so, the specialist can prescribe eye drops, in order to reduce the local itching and swelling that will occur during the first 48-72 hours after the intervention. It is also common for bruises to appear in the affected area as a result of the incisions, but these usually disappear in a few days.

It should be noted that, although the individual can lead a normal life immediately, he must avoid overexertion that tense the muscles in a general way, since the sutures could be skipped. In about 10 days the recovery is complete.

Other alternative routes

Although blepharoplasty is the most common choice, eyelid ptosis can be approached from three different fronts beyond it. These are named according to the approach route:

Anterior route: consists of reinforcing the main levator muscle through an incision in the natural crease of the eyelid. It is imperceptible.
Transconjunctival route: muscle strengthening is carried out through the ocular conjunctiva. No incision is made in the skin. It is the most common in young people.
Front suspension: it is carried out in congenital ptosis in which the levator eyelid muscle presents some deformity.

Post-operative care is very similar to blepharoplasty, as the mode of action is very similar. Hematomas and some pain may appear but, especially in the transconjunctival route, the effects are minimal (since in this case an incision is not even made).

Risks

In general, risks and side effects are very rare. We present a list of possible adverse events to consider:

Amaurosis or temporary blindness: occurs in 1 in 25,000 cases and is generally attributed to the appearance of bruises.
Diplopia: double visual perception.
Corneal injury: a relatively common side effect that heals spontaneously within 24 hours, but causes the patient discomfort.
Dry eye and slow healing.
That the two eyelids are not exactly aligned.

In addition to this, other very rare complications can arise, such as the difficulty of closing the eyes to sleep, which in very few cases is permanent. We are spinning very fine, because, as we have said previously, the vast majority of patients overcome the operation without problems in a few days.

Prices

In general, people take advantage of their passage through the operating room to retouch both the upper and lower eyelids in both eyes (the typical permanent bags or dark circles) and, in these cases, the price can be around 2,700-3,500 euros in total. If the patient decides to treat only the upper and lower eyelids, the cost is a little cheaper, calculating a total of 2,000 euros.

Resume

As we have been able to see in these lines, blepharoplasty is a minimally invasive surgical intervention, quick and easy to recover in the vast majority of cases. Usually there are discomfort, itching and eye bruising, but these disappear after a few days and can be fought with eye drops that relieve symptoms.

As in most interventions, it is the patient who has to weigh whether the surgery is worth it and the price of the operation. Blepharoplasty is indicated, above all, in those people for whom the drooping eyelid is a problem of vision or in cases where only one of the two eyelids is exaggeratedly down, as the asymmetry becomes too evident. We have told you about the process. From here, you decide.

Bibliographic references

What is droopy eyelid? Blepharoplasty.es. Picked up on November 10 in https://blefaroplastia.es/parpado-caido/
Blepharoplasty, chapter 152, virtual information book of ENT information. Picked up on November 10 in https://www.oftalvist.es/blog/ptosis-palpebral-parpado-caido/
Eyelid Surgery, medlineplus.gov. Picked up on November 10 in https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/ency/article/002977.htm
Giacomotti, J. D., Losardo, R., Palazzo, J. A., Loccisano, M., & Postán, D. (2015). Lower eyelid bags and aesthetic blepharoplasty: anatomo-surgical investigation. Ibero-Latinoamericana Plastic Surgery, 41 (1), 41-48.
Novo Torres, A., Salvador Sanz, J. F., Lorda Barraguer, E., & Laredo Ortiz, C. (2006). Correction of eyelid ptosis by blepharoplasty incision. Ibero-Latin American Plastic Surgery, 32 (3), 179-184.
Droopy Eyelids, Medlineplus.gov. Picked up on November 10 in https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/ency/article/001018.htm
Eyelid ptosis, oftalvist.com. Picked up on November 10 in https://www.oftalvist.es/blog/ptosis-palpebral-parpado-caido/