EYELID SURGERY IN BATON ROUGE, LA
Eyelid Surgery
Your eyes – and other facial features – have an important influence on perception and social behavior in modern society. Factors such as heredity, gravity, and sun exposure can take away the sparkle of youth from your face. Furthermore, the natural process of aging causes collagen in our skin to break down – leading to bags, sagging, and wrinkles. These changes exaggerate undesirable eyelid features and make you look tired and older than you actually are. Baton Rouge plastic surgeon Dr. Ruston Sanchez offers hooded eyelid surgery to help both men and women address cosmetic concerns around the eyes.
Dr. Ruston Sanchez takes each patient case as unique and creates an individualized treatment plan to yield the desired outcome. He uses advanced technology and the latest surgical methods to achieve a naturally refreshed and youthful look around the eyes without obvious signs of surgery.
Who is a Candidate for Eyelid Rejuvenation Surgery?
Eyelid surgery – also referred to as blepharoplasty – is a cosmetic procedure that repairs droopy eyelids. The surgeon aims to achieve a naturally refreshed and youthful appearance around the eyes by getting rid of excess skin, muscle, and/or fat above or below your eyelids.
Good candidates for this cosmetic treatments are individuals who have:
- Bags or puffy bulges below their eyes (due to excessive fatty deposits)
- Upper eyelid fullness due to excessive fatty deposits
- Sagging or wrinkled eyelid skin
- Severe “hooding” around the eyes that impairs vision
During your initial blepharoplasty consultation, Dr. Ruston Sanchez will listen to your concerns, examine your eyelids, and let you know whether this procedure is right for you. Many of his facelift patients choose to have eyelid surgery in order to achieve a more noticeable facial improvement.
Benefits of Cosmetic Blepharoplasty in Baton Rouge
Hooded eyelid surgery offers various aesthetic and functional benefits, including:
- Fewer fine lines – although the goal of eyelid surgery is to refine the area around the eyes, many patients also see an improvement in fine lines especially around the corners of the eye.
- No more bags – “baggy” lower eyelids give you a fatigued appearance. A lower eyelid lift addresses this bagginess by getting rid of excess skin and tissue under the eye, giving you a refined youthful appearance.
- Improved vision – significant drooping in your upper eyelid can be both a cosmetic and functional concern as well if it impairs your line of vision. Your Surgeon removes the excess fat deposits and lifts the upper lid to enhance your appearance while also expanding your line of sight.
- Look more awake and refreshed – blepharoplasty is one of the best ways to give your entire face a more awake, youthful, and well-rested appearance. What’s more, this procedure enhances the shape and appearance of your eyes.
Many patients of Dr. Ruston Sanchez’s Baton Rouge eyelid surgery patients find that they experience an improvement in confidence and self-esteem as a result of this treatment.
Eyelid Surgery Procedure
The goal of eyelid surgery is to maintain a natural and youthful look around the eyes. This procedure is performed on an outpatient basis at one of Dr. Ruston Sanchez’s Baton Rouge surgery centers. Usually, local anesthetic with an oral sedative is used during surgery in order to increase patients safety and avoid the negative effects of general anesthesia. The specific surgical technique to be used will vary depending on the needs of the patient. Once the surgeon makes an incision on either the lower or upper eyelid, they will remove unwanted loose skin or tissue. Dr. Ruston Sanchez may also remove or reposition fat deposits within the eyelids to suit the patient’s desires. Once this process is complete, the surgeon will close the cuts. Incisions may or may not be used depending on the surgical technique used.
Types of Eyelid Surgery
There are two types of eye reduction surgery available to suit each patient’s requirements:
Upper blepharoplasty
Drooping skin that hangs over the eyes happens to be one of the most common concerns for upper eyelid surgery patients. This not only affects the patient’s facial aesthetics but can also obstruct the line of vision. To address this problem, Dr. Ruston Sanchez will make an incision along the natural fold of the upper eyelid and use it to get rid of excess fat and tissue that is causing the bulging. In some cases, the surgeon may reposition the excess tissue and fat instead of removing it. He will also trim away excess skin and close the cut with fine sutures.
Lower blepharoplasty
This type of eyelid surgery focuses on eliminating a ‘saggy’ or ‘bulging’ appearance underneath the eye. Dr. Ruston Sanchez may make an incision just below the lower eyelash and use it to get rid of extra fat, skin, and tissue. An alternative method involves making a transconjunctival incision (cut inside the lower eyelid). While this option leads to a totally concealed scar, it is only available for patients with good skin elasticity. Keep in mind that under eye removal surgery (alone) cannot get rid of dark circles around your eyes. If you wish to address this problem as well, additional treatments such as chemical peels or injectable fillers may be necessary.
UPPER & LOWER BLEPHAROPLASTY
Recovery After Your Blepharoplasty in Baton Rouge
Most patients tend to recover quickly after surgery to remove hooded eyelids. Bruising and swelling is common a day or two after the surgery. You may use cool compresses to ease the discomfort around your eyes during the first (challenging) 48 hours post-procedure. Dr. Ruston Sanchez recommends that you engage in light walking as soon as you can in order to help the healing process. Thin bandages that are used to cover the incision sites are usually removed in a couple of days. Some patients have eyelid surgery with a cut inside the eyelid. If you had an outer eyelid incision, then Dr. Ruston Sanchez utilizes self-absorbing stitches that do not require removal.
Support the healing process
In order to help the healing process, the surgeon may ask you to do a couple of things, including:
Take care of your eyes
To make sure that everything goes smoothly after blepharoplasty, it is important to protect your eyes. Here are a couple of things you can do:
- Wear sun protection – your eyes need to be shielded from sunlight and elements such as wind. Make sure to wear dark sunglasses with frames that adequately cover eyes from both sides as well. Consider adding a hat for additional protection. The surgeon will also let you know how to apply sunscreen without interfering with the treatment site. Also, avoid contact lenses over the first 2-3 weeks.
- Avoid stressing your eyes – you need to give your eyes enough rest so they can recover from the effects of the procedure. Avoid checking email, reading books, or watching TV for at least one week after surgery to tighten eyelid skin. These activities cause dry eyes and that can impede the recovery process.
- Get enough rest – just like your eyes, your body also needs enough rest to facilitate wound healing. Make sure to get a great night’s sleep throughout the recovery duration. Have a recliner or sleep when propped up in bed with pillows. Healing is energy-intensive. Plan to take naps whenever you feel tired. Avoid pushing yourself in any way until after you get the go-ahead from Dr. Ruston Sanchez.
Watch out for unusual sensations
It is common (and okay) for your eyelids to feel tight as part of the healing process. Your eyes may also tire easily and vision may be slightly blurry. However, if you are worried about something or if you experience unusual sensations or symptoms, make sure to get in touch with Dr. Ruston Sanchez right away.
Attend post-op appointments
Dr. Ruston Sanchez’s office will schedule a post-op visit about a day or two after surgery so that the surgeon can examine your incisions and review your progress. Another post-op appointment may be set up in about a week to have sutures (if any) removed from your upper eyelids. If you had lower blepharoplasty, this second visit may not be necessary because Dr. Ruston Sanchez uses absorbable sutures for this treatment.
The majority of blepharoplasty patients resume work and normal daily activities within 3-5 days. You can wear eye makeup after the first 7 days – but only after getting permission to do so from Dr. Ruston Sanchez. Throughout the recovery duration, make sure to avoid strenuous activities, heavy lifting, and bending over.
Average Cost
Varies by patient
Average Recovery Time
Return to work within 3 – 5 days
Average Procedure Time
Varies on extensiveness of procedure
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ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the cost of eyelid surgery?
The cost of blepharoplasty in Baton Rouge varies depending on a number of factors, including the type of eyelid surgery (upper or lower), anesthetic used, facility cost, etc. During your consultation visit to Ruston Sanchez Plastic Surgery, Dr. Ruston Sanchez’s team will provide an initial cost breakdown so you can prepare for the procedure.
Will blepharoplasty fix wrinkles and Crow’s feet?
Improvements from eyelid surgery are limited to the lower and upper eyelids. If you have forehead wrinkles and crow’s feet, you may need an additional brow lift or facelift procedure to take care of these. Nonsurgical options such as BOTOX may also be available to smooth out wrinkles on the forehead and around the eyes. Talk to Dr. Ruston Sanchez to learn what options make the most sense for you.