Lower Eyelid Surgery Sydney North Shore
Lower eyelid surgery (also known at lower blepharoplasty) is a procedure that removes excess skin, and corrects bulging fat, from the lower eyelid and can be performed in both men and women. Some key benefits of lower eyelid surgery are:
1. Reduces under-eye bags
Lower blepharoplasty can effectively correct under-eye bags caused by excess fat deposits or loose skin. By removing or repositioning the fat, the procedure creates a smoother and more youthful contour. Correcting this drooping of the lower eyelid that results in showing of the white sclera below the iris.
2. Minimises puffiness and dark circles
Lower eyelid surgery targets puffiness and dark circles that can make individuals appear tired or aged. The procedure can tighten the skin and eliminate excess fluid, resulting in a rejuvenated and refreshed look.
3. Improves overall facial harmony
The eyes play a significant role in facial aesthetics. By addressing sagging or baggy lower eyelids, the surgery can restore balance and harmony to the face by smoothening the lower lid and cheek junction.
4. Long-lasting results
Lower blepharoplasty offers long-lasting results. While the aging process will continue, the improvements achieved through surgery can significantly endure, providing patients with sustained satisfaction over time.
5. Potential vision improvement
In some cases, lower eyelid surgery can alleviate vision impairment caused by sagging skin or fat protrusion. By removing the excess tissue, the procedure can enhance peripheral vision and overall visual acuity.
Women and men seek lower blepharoplasty surgery to:
- Feel more refreshed and look more youthful
- Feel confident
- Correct festooning of the lower eyelid that makes them look older
- Remove excess skin from the lower eyelid
The best candidates for lower blepharoplasty are men and women who:
- Are physically and mentally healthy
- Have realistic expectations
Lower eyelid surgery may not be suitable for men and women who:
- Have multiple medical problems
- Are on blood thinning medication
- Have unrealistic expectations
- Have multiple eye problems such as dry eyes, changing visual acuity.
- Ectropion of the lower eyelid or multiple lower eyelid scars from previous surgery
Lower blepharoplasty can provide dramatic results once the initial bruising and swelling settles down.
Some patients chose to combine lower blepharoplasty surgery with:
- Upper Blepharoplasty
- Brow lift surgery
- Face and Neck Lift
- Facial fat grafting
- Non-surgical treatments such as fillers whilst under anaesthetic.
For more information on other procedures please read the other sections of this website.
At MODE, Dr Aggarwal will guide you through the planning of surgery and help decide which procedure is best suited to achieve your goals.
- Anaesthetic: GA by accredited anaesthetist
- Time: 1-2 hours
- Duration of stay: Day Surgery
- Hospital: Any of the hospitals where Dr Aggarwal works.
- Medicare/Health fund rebate: There is no rebate for lower blepharoplasty which is considered to be a cosmetic procedure.
- Recovery: You go home the same day. You are required to use ice packs to minimise bruising and swelling. Most people can resume work within 1-2 weeks.
- Results: A lower blepharoplasty can produce a dramatic change in one’s appearance but results vary from person to person.
Cosmetic Concerns
- The art of a beautiful eyelid surgery is inconspicuous scars combined with a result that looks natural and beautiful without looking like you have had an operation.
- The scar of a lower blepharoplasty is placed in the lower eyelid just below the lash line. In some people it is possible to have a scar only on the inside of the lower eyelid.
- In general, while in the short term the external scar may be visible, the eyelid skin heals very well and provides for a barely visible scar long term.
- A well performed lower blepharoplasty avoids abnormal position of the lower eyelid which can easily occur from scarring that occurs after surgery.
- Dr Aggarwal will make a careful assessment of your face during the consultation, and advise what is needed – this can vary from lower eyelid suspension procedures such as a canthopexy or canthoplasty, and occasionally full thickness skin grafting.
- Yes.
- If you have limited skin laxity, and good skin quality it is possible to just remove the fat from the lower eyelid through an incision on the inside of the lower eyelid, thus avoiding all external visible scars.
- Dr Aggarwal aims to try and achieve a natural result – the key in blepharoplasty surgery is to remove only the problematic bulging fat without over-resection. Removal of too much fat can produce a skeletonised look to the eyes which looks very aging.
Procedure Information
The procedure is usually performed under general anaesthesia given by an accredited anaesthetist in a fully accredited and licensed facility. The procedure takes one to two hours and patients go home the same day.
- Dr Aggarwal will mark you before your procedure, taking into account the amount of skin that needs to be removed – usually the amount of skin removed is minimal
- The scar of a lower blepharoplasty goes from the medial corner of the eye (medial canthus), under the lash line to beyond the lateral corner of the eye to remove the adequate amount of skin.
- In some people an incision is made on the inside of the eyelid to remove fat from the lower eyelid. This can sometimes avoid the external scar altogether.
- Local anaesthetic is carefully injected just under the skin.
- The skin is incised and a flap of the lower eyelid skin and muscle is raised
- If required bulging fat is removed and any bleeding controlled
- The lower eyelid fascia (septum) is tightened
- A lower lid supporting stitch is placed (canthopexy)
- The skin is then carefully closed, and any excess skin removed.
- The sutures are left long and carefully taped to the skin of the face.
- Dr Aggarwal will place steri-strips over the loose ends of the sutures – you must keep these dry and intact until you see Dr Aggarwal after the surgery.
- You will be instructed to use frequent ice packs over the eyes as this significantly reduces bleeding and bruising post upper eyelid surgery.
- It is also a good idea to keep your head elevated when you sleep at least for the first 2 nights.
- You will be given a script for antibiotics by Dr Aggarwal which you must continue for 1 week. You will also be given appropriate pain relief medications.
- While most sedentary activities can be resumed when you go home, you must lay low and not exert yourself. You should refrain from any activity that raises your blood pressure for the first 72 hours. Most people are able to return to normal work at 1-2 weeks.
- Dr Aggarwal will see regularly after your discharge from hospital.
Risks & Complications
Every surgery carries risks, and therefore one must consider if risks outweigh the benefits for your own personal situation. If they do then the surgery may be well worth it. Dr Aggarwal will discuss the pros and cons of surgery with you during your consultation.
- Risks of anaesthetic – there are general risks of going under an anaesthetic such as a mild stress on the heart and lungs, risk of reaction to anaesthetic drugs and risk of blotting in the legs. These risks are generally low in patients who are otherwise fit and healthy.
- Bleeding (1-2%) – any bleeding is controlled during surgery however unexpected bleeding can occur in the immediate postoperative period. If this occurs it will necessitate a return to theatre to control the bleeding. If fat has been removed there is a small chance that bleeding can cause a threat to vision, and therefore you must report immediately to Dr Aggarwal if there is any change in your vision.
- Infection (<1%) – this is very rare. However you are given antibiotics during induction (when you are going to sleep), as well as a course of oral antibiotics after your surgery to keep this risk to a minimum.
- Deterioration in vision – this is a very rare complication as a result of bleeding which needs immediate attention. If this emergency is not rectified immediately it can lead to blindness or reduced vision in the affected eye.
- Lower eyelid malposition – scarring from surgery can lower the position of the lower eyelid, resulting in the show of the white part of the eye (the sclera) below the coloured part of the eye (iris). Severe cases can result in significant eye irritation, tearing, grittiness, and inadequate aesthetic appearance.
- To avoid this Dr Aggarwal takes careful attention to never remove excess skin, and to also support the lower eyelid through a canthopexy manoeuvre.
- Mild cases of malposition can improve through scar massage and support, however severe cases may require repeat surgery.
- Asymmetrical scars – There can be a difference in how each eyelid behaves to surgery and skin tension, and can produce an asymmetry to the scars, albeit the aim is to get them as symmetrical as possible.
- Hypertrophic or poor scars – How one’s body behaves to scarring is individual and largely genetic. Some types of skin are more prone to hypertrophic or keloid scarring, and some individuals and families are more prone to this. We will routinely advise you on how to improve the quality of scars over time. You should also discuss any history of abnormal scarring with Dr Aggarwal preoperatively.
- Recurrence of fat bulging – occasionally despite removal of fat, bulging of fat can recur, and create a recurrence of lower eyelid ‘bags’.
Procedure FAQs
- It is not necessary to obtain a referral for lower blepharoplasty.
- If you do obtain a referral it is possible to claim a Medicare rebate of approximately $73 for the initial consultation
- There are no Medicare or health fund rebates for a lower blepharoplasty procedure, however, as it is considered to be a cosmetic procedure.
- If you are combining this surgery with other procedures that may carry an item number (such as an upper blepharoplasty) you are best to obtain a referral. This is needed to claim rebates for the procedures that are covered by Medicare and health funds.
- You can see us at our main practice at Gordon, or at our other locations at Hornsby, Hunters Hill or Camperdown.
- Please scroll to the bottom of the page to find out more information about these locations.
- Any of the hospitals where Dr Aggarwal works – usually Hunters Hill Private or SAN Day Surgery Hornsby.
- Cease fish oil, and other supplements such as Ginkgo, Ginseng.
- Please discuss with Dr Aggarwal if you are on blood thinning medications as to when you should stop and recommence those.
- Stop smoking well in advance of surgery.
- You must not do any activity that raises your blood pressure for 72 hours
- Most people are able to resume most activities at 1-2 weeks.
- Dr Aggarwal will provide you with the necessary scripts for antibiotics and pain relief.
- No
- However you will be required to use regular ice packs over the eyes for the first 48 hours.
- No.
- Yes
- However we always encourage patients not to be away overseas shortly after having a procedure, so that we can closely follow your recovery and address any concerns that may arise.
- You can swim in a pool or beach after 2 weeks once all wounds have healed.
- It is best to not drive for the 24-48 hours after lower eyelid surgery as the swelling initially may interfere with your vision.
- Lower blepharoplasty is performed under General Anaesthetic so can only be offered in an accredited private hospital setting.
- Unfortunately no – the only way to remove excess skin (and fat) from the lower eyelid is through direct excision.
Procedure Pricing
- A quote for this procedure will be provided to you after a consultation with Dr. Aggarwal. You can also call or email our office for our current indicative pricing.
- This fee is all inclusive, which includes
- Surgical fees
- Hospital theatre fees
- Anaesthetist fees
- Follow up
- Please note that the above prices do not include
- Preoperative consultation fees
- Other procedures such as upper blepharoplasty, brow lift, or other facial cosmetic procedures.
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If sedation or general anaesthetic is required, it is delivered by an accredited anaesthetist
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Mode Plastic Surgery
924 Pacific Highway
Gordon NSW 2072
Consulting time
Multiple options throughout the week
Address
Chris O’Brien Lifehouse
Level 2, Clinic D
119-143 Missenden Road
Camperdown NSW 2050
Consulting time
Alternate Thursdays
Address
Hunters Hill Clinic
Level 1, 6 Ryde Road
Hunters Hill NSW 2110
Consulting time
Once a month Thursday morning.
Address
Strathfield Private Hospital
3 Everton Road
Strathfield NSW 2135
Consulting time
Once a month Tuesday morning.
Address
St Luke’s Private Hospital
18 Roslyn Street
Potts Point, NSW, 2011
Consulting time
One Friday each month.
Address
Hornsby Medical Specialists
39 Palmerston Road
Hornsby NSW 2077
Address
Castlecrag Private Hospital
150 Edinburgh Road
Castlecrag NSW 2068
Phone:
info@modeplasticsurgery.com.au
Suite 13, 924 Pacific Highway
Gordon NSW 2072, Australia
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