Eyelid Surgery Blepharoplasty
Eyelid surgery, is a cosmetic procedure, also known as blepharoplasty, wherein drooping of the lower and/or upper eyelids is reduced by removing excess skin, muscle, and fat. Bleeding, infection, dry eyes, inability to fully close the eyes, skin of the eyelid that folds in or out abnormally, skin discoloration of the eyelids, and a pulled-down lower lid lash line or a possible loss of vision are complications of the procedure.
In upper eyelid surgical procedure, the surgeon first marks the individual lines and fold marks of the lids in order to keep the scars as invisible as possible along these natural folds. The incision is done, and excess fat, muscle, and loose skin are removed. Fine sutures are used to close the incisions, thereby reducing the visibility of any scar.
In lower eyelid surgical procedure, the surgeon makes the incision in a hardly noticeable site along the lashline and smile fold marks of the lower lid. Excess fat, muscle, and skin are then cut away before the incision is closed with fine sutures. Eyelid puffiness caused primarily by excess fat may be put right by a transconjunctival blepharoplasty. The cut in this case is made inside the lower eyelid, and excess fatty material is removed. When sutures are applied to close this kind of incision, they are invisible to the eye. They are also self-thawing and left no visible scar. Under ordinary conditions, blepharoplasty can take from one to two hours.
Asian double eyelid surgery
Also known as "double eyelid surgery," or a type of cosmetic surgery where the skin around the eye is reshaped (blepharoplasty). The objective of the procedure is to produce an upper eyelid with a fold mark (i.e. "double eyelid") from an eyelid without a crease (i.e. "single eyelid"). Anatomically, there are a number of changes in the upper eyelids of East Asians compared with the changes in the eyelids of other races.
While there are some Asians with a double eyelid and some without double eyelid, there is also a large difference in the crease position (double eyelid size) of the East Asian upper eyelid. The upper lid fold may vary from 1 mm above the eyelash line to about 10 mm. Several methods can be used to produce the double eyelidincluding the full-incisional, partial incision and no incision methods (e.g. the DST method). Each has its fine points depending on the patient's anatomy and needs.
Blepharoplasties have been reported to be the most used aesthetic procedure in Taiwan and other parts of East Asia . This methods have been reported to have some risk of complications, but is generally quite safe if done by an expert plastic surgeon. Plastic surgeons, otolaryngologists (facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons), and Oral and maxillofacial surgeon (facial cosmetic surgeons), and ophthalmologists (oculoplastic surgeons) are practitioners of Asian double eyelid surgeries. A procedure to eliminate the epicanthal fold (that is, an epicanthoplasty) is often performed in combination with an Asian blepharoplasty.
Risks and Potential Complications
Asymmetric eyelid creases - Unmatched fold marks different in shape, depth, length, and/or height may present a problem. Some slight final asymmetry is usual and may occur even in the hands of a highly-experienced practitioner. External factors free of surgical technique (such as pre-existing facial, brow, or orbital bone variations) may also impact on final crease position.
Overly high eyelid crease - If the cutting of the skin is placed too high above the eyelashes and/or extraneous skin is removed, the final eyelid crease may sit at a higher position than desired.
Undesirably shaped eyelid crease - Differences in the shape of the eyelid crease are discussed separately. If a patient wishes, for instance, a nasally-tapered crease but ends up with a parallel crease, he or she may be disappointed.
Hollowness - If too much fat is removed, a more rounded semi-lunar fold mark may result and the normal fullness of the Asian upper eyelid can be lost although a few patients may be seeking this result.
"Westernization" - If a patient without a prior existing eyelid crease wish only thinning of a baggy eyelid but ends up with an obvious new crease, he or she may be disappointed by the unintended cosmetic change.
Loss of the eyelid crease - Regardless of the methods employed, the new eyelid crease may soften or sometimes be lost over time. This difference, however, is common but almost always to be expected with less invasive non-cutting suture techniques of crease formation.
Multiple creases - Forceful cutting in the muscle layer above the tarsal plate as well as other surgical means may result in the formation of more than one crease.
"Triple eyelid" - The production of two creases rather than one is usually related to excessive fat removal.
Eyelid ptosis - If the levator aponeurosis is injured or excessively hurt, a droopy eyelid may result and require repeat operation.
Upper eyelid retraction - Excessive skin removal or unintended inclusion of the orbital septum in the sutures may hinder with full eyelid closure
Prolonged swelling - Aggressive orbicularis muscle removal may lead to prolonged tissue edema (swelling), which eventually resolves.
Hypertrophic scarring - An aggressive response with more redness and thickness in the curing of external eyelid scar is slightly more common in Asian skin. Time is usually healing.
Scarring after epicanthal fold surgery - A number of procedures have been suggested to reduce the epicanthal fold. Most require difficult skin incisions and/or excess muscle, which may effect an unacceptable permanent scarring or tissue depression in the operated area.
Eyebrow ptosis - If domineering surgery to obtain a high fold mark is undertaken on a patient with a pre-existing low brow placement, the brow may be pulled lower.
Unrealistic expectations - Asymmetry in any type of plastic surgery is the rule rather than the exception. Perfection almost in plastic surgery is never attained. If this fact is not accepted before surgery, a patient may later be disappointed by an entirely acceptable result.
Unhappiness with new look - Seldom, a patient who underwent Asian eyelid surgery may not be satisfied with his or her "new" look although the operation is precisely performed as planned ahead of time with the surgeon.
Impatience - It takes time to heal after double eyelid surgery. Unfortunately, some patients begin to question their results within a matter of a few weeks, days or even hours after surgery. |
