One of the areas where we first notice aging is around the eyes.  Crow’s feet, extra skin of the upper eyelids, as well as wrinkles and hollowness on the lower eyelids are common complaints.  Thankfully, we can stave off surgical intervention for some time with Botox, injectable treatments and a solid skin care plan, but some of us eventually will opt to have eyelid procedures.

Surgery of the eyelids is called blepharoplasty.  This technique generally removes or repositions the skin, fat and underlying muscle that causes drooping of the eyelids. On its own, eyelid surgery is a short procedure that can be done under local anesthesia with or without sedation for the patient’s comfort.

Recovery from blepharoplasty is also quick, especially for the upper eyelids.  It is important when scheduling your procedure to do it at a time you can completely rest afterwards for several days, as not resting can prolong healing.  This can be difficult with eyelid surgery because most of us want to read, watch movies, and use our phones or devices when we are resting but these activities all are hard on our eyes!

Blepharoplasty can be done for cosmetic reasons, however if your upper eyelids are blocking your field of vision sometimes your procedure may be billed to your insurance company.  A prior authorization would need to be done before surgery and would require a qualifying vision field test result to apply.  This of course is examined on a case-by-case basis and is dependent on the patient’s insurance company.

If you are interested in eyelid surgery, or any cosmetic procedures to improve aging around the eye area,we recommend contacting our office to schedule your consultation with Dr. Welch to get started!