Anyone over 18 whose upper and/or lower eyelid is marked by wrinkles and whose eyelid skin is loose. Anyone who has such a great amount of loose skin within the eyelid area to cause sight problems and/or the eye area to have an unpleasant appearance.
Anyone whose eyelid area is swollen (due to eyelid hernia and edema), causing the eye area to have the typical "tired" look.
This procedure can be performed together with a Lower Blepharoplasty.
The choices of which procedure to undergo and which technique to use will be discussed with the surgeon during the first visit in order to clarify every possible doubt.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROCEDURE

This procedure can be performed only in operating rooms under conscious sedation or general anaesthesia. The incision is made in the natural eyelid folds in order to hide the scars (usually invisible).
This technique involves the removal of an adequate amount of skin (in order to remove the excess and at the same time keep intact the ability to close the eye correctly), of a very small part of the muscle and, if necessary, of the swollen eye-bag that lies usually next to the nose.

POST-OPERATIVE PHASE AND CONVALESCENCE

At the end of the procedure very small suture stitches will be applied, sometimes protected by small band-aids (strei-strip), and then removed after only 5-6 days.
This procedure does NOT require overnight hospitalization, unless the patient asks for it or the surgeon finds it necessary.
In the first post-operative days the eyes may look and ofter ecchymotic (purple bruises that turn yellowish after a few days and eventually disappear), and this condition will end in the space of 7-20 days, depending on the patient's predisposition. During this time it is possible to hide the ecchymosis simply wearing sunglasses that should be worn also in order to protect the eyes against sunbeams, which may result particularly annoying.
The patient usually feels no or very little post-operative pain, which can be easily managed with painkillers. During the first 7-15 days after the procedure the patient has to take antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs, or even other types of drugs if the surgeon or the anaesthetist find it necessary.
Intense physical activities and exercises must be suspended for about 15 days.

RISKS AND COMPLICATIONS

Just as after every surgical procedure some bleeding might occur. If it doesn't stop spontaneously or after the first wound dressing performed by the medical staff, it is necessary to take the patient back into the operating room and stop the haemorrhage. This might sound scary and annoying, but it has to be done in order to avoid permanent hematomas, and has no effects on a correctly performed surgery whatsoever.
Since it is a hereditary characteristic of the eyelid skin to develop such flaw, the results achieved with the surgery might last only 6-10 years.
Sometimes a slight form of conjunctivitis may occur as a reaction, but it can be easily treated with proper eye drops for a few days.
Considering the quick recovery and the fact that the small marks left by the surgery in the first days can be easily hidden, this procedure gives excellent results at very low costs and with a very short convalescence time.
If the procedure is performed in a safe environment (Hospital operating rooms, Clinics and accredited Extended Care Facilities) and by qualified physicians (surgeon, assistant surgeon, surgical technologist, anaesthetist and operating room staff) there is no risk of major complications, as long as the patient follows thoroughly all the post-operative instructions given by the medical staff.

COSTS

Considering the wide range of prices asked by the different Extended Care Facilities (and the huge importance of performing the procedure in safe facilities), the fees for the anaesthetists and for the surgical and nursing staff, this procedure can cost from 2.500€ up to 5.000€.