Eyelid correction is a surgical tightening of the eyelids. It is usually desired for aesthetic reasons, but in some cases there is also a medical necessity. Eyelid correction removes drooping eyelids, eyelid malpositions or overhanging eyelashes.
Here you will find the most important information and qualified eyelid correction specialists.
Many people want to live up to their ideal of beauty and have physical blemishes removed. A flawless, youthful appearance stands for attractiveness, success and drive.
Natural ageing and the sun's UV rays cause the skin to lose its elasticity over time. The skin on the eyelids is particularly thin and sensitive, so that the eyelids begin to droop. This results in drooping eyelids. They give the eyes a tired look.
An eyelid correction is also known as an eyelid lift or blepharoplasty. The minor surgical procedure pulls the skin over the eye back together and the surgeon removes excess tissue. This makes the eyes look brighter again.
This eyelid surgery is rarely a medically necessary procedure. Eyelid correction therefore belongs to the category of plastic-aesthetic corrections, i.e. cosmetic surgery.
Health insurance companies do not cover surgery for purely cosmetic reasons. You must pay for the eyelid correction yourself.
Please note: The decision to have eyelid surgery should be your personal wish, not that of your partner!
In the area of the upper eyelid, however, the sagging tissue can actually lead to impaired vision. Medical reasons for an eyelid correction are
The procedure is performed in the same way as eyelid correction for aesthetic reasons. However, if the health insurance company recognizes the medical necessity of the procedure, it will cover the costs of the operation.
In the run-up to eyelid surgery, the doctor first takes the patient's medicalhistory (anamnesis).
He then carries out various preliminary examinations. These include a visual field examination. This will clarify how the desired goal can be achieved. Surgical eyelid correction is not always necessary. Under certain circumstances, any excess skin around the eye can also be corrected by laser skin resurfacing.
An examination of the patient's general state of health is also necessary. This will provide information on whether there are any physical limitations that speak against surgery.
Reasons that speak against blepharoplasty would be
The doctor also checks whether the patient has a drooping eyelid (lid ptosis) or asymmetry.
The condition of the skin and the position of the eyebrows are also important for planning the operation. Tissue sagging in the forehead area can be accompanied by a lowering of the eyebrows. This further increases the impression of drooping eyelids. If the brows are very low, the doctor may recommend a combination of eyelid surgery and a forehead-brow lift.
After ruling out all reasons against surgery, the doctor will discuss the eyelid correction with you in detail. He will explain to you exactly which methods are available and how the eyelid surgery will proceed. He will also inform you about possible risks and complications.
An eyelid correction removes wrinkles and excess tissue around the eyes © kittyfly | AdobeStock
Eyelid correction is one of the most common aesthetic operations - it is a routine procedure. As a rule, eyelid surgery takes around 30 minutes. For more complex procedures (e.g. if both eyelids are corrected), the duration can increase to up to three hours.
Before the procedure, the anesthetist will discuss suitable anesthetic methods and ask you about any sensitivity disorders. As a rule, you will either be given a local anaesthetic and/or put into twilight sleep. Eyelid surgery rarely requires general anesthesia.
Depending on the type of blepharoplasty you have chosen, either the upper or lower eyelid is corrected or tightened.
The upper eyelid lift is used to tighten drooping eyelids. This eyelid surgery is either performed on an outpatient basis or involves a one-day inpatient stay. This eyelid surgery usually takes around 30 minutes.
The skin is disinfected before the operation. The plastic surgeon then marks the area to be altered on the skin of the awake, upright patient. This allows him to know where to make the incision during the operation.
He then anaesthetizes the eyelid with a local anaesthetic. For the incision, he uses either a scalpel and scissors or a laser or a very fine electric knife. The electric knife simultaneously obliterates small blood vessels during cutting, so that less blood escapes.
The surgeon removes excess skin in the skin fold of the upper eyelid. If necessary, parts of the eye sphincter are also removed. If desired by the patient, the surgeon tightens the connective tissue. Fat pads can be removed or moved by the surgeon.
Once this remodeling is complete, the surgeon sutures the incision. He ensures that the skin scar lies in the area of the natural skin folds. This makes it virtually invisible later on.
Blepharoplasty of the lower eyelids removes the excess skin of the lower eyelid commonly referred to as bags under the eyes. The reason for a lower eyelid lift can also be the protrusion of orbital fat tissue due to age-related tissue sagging. It is often a combination of both.
A lower eyelid lift is usually also performed on an outpatient basis or involves a one-day inpatient stay. It usually takes around one hour.
As with other eyelid operations, the surgeon first marks the area to be corrected with the patient awake and sitting upright.
There are two common methods that can be used for lower eyelid correction:
Most common procedure
The doctor usually starts at the lower lash line. There he makes a barely visible incision one to two millimetres deep below the lash line of the lower eyelid. The incision is then made about five millimetres outwards into the laugh lines.
He then removes excess fatty tissue and parts of the eye ring muscle and tightens the skin. The underlying connective tissue can also be tightened if necessary.
Procedure with good skin elasticity
It is not necessary to remove skin, especially in young patients who have good skin elasticity. In this case, the surgeon can also make the incision in the conjunctival fold (transconjunctival blepharoplasty). This has the advantage that no visible scars remain.
Patients who only suffer from a protrusion of fatty tissue are now also approached from the inside of the eyelid. This means that no visible scars remain and wound healing is quicker and less risky. Careful hemostasis is important with this method.
Follow the doctor's recommendations exactly after the operation. This will minimize the risk of complications. During the healing phase, you should take it easy and not subject the incision lines to excessive strain and movement.
Like any medical procedure, blepharoplasty also involves risks such as bleeding or infection. In rare cases, complications or undesired changes may occur, such as asymmetry or over- or undercorrection. However, these have become rarer due to the improved procedures in recent years.
Nevertheless, overcorrection, i.e. the removal of too much skin, should be avoided at all costs. In extreme cases, the patient would no longer be able to close the eye and their eyesight would be at risk. For this reason, blepharoplasty should always be performed by an ophthalmologist with plastic surgery training.
If the patient is no longer able to close their eye as a result of the procedure, a follow-up operation may be necessary.
Very rarely, blindness is also possible. This can occur if post-operative bleeding occurs as a result of the eyelid surgery, which increases the pressure on the optic nerve.
The risks of a lower eyelid correction are generally higher than with an upper eyelid correction.
As soon as the surgeon has completed the procedure, you can recover from the operation in a patient room. It is usually sufficient to stay on site for a few hours. This allows the doctors and nurses to monitor your condition. Patients who have received a general anesthetic will have to stay a little longer.
After the procedure, the eyes are bandaged with compresses and an elastic bandage. It is advisable to organize a companion who can help you on the way home after the eyelid correction.
You will be given eye drops to use at home to keep your eyes moisturized.
During the initial period, you should allow yourself as much (bed) rest as possible and lie in bed with your upper body slightly elevated. Avoid activities that strain your eyes, such as reading or watching television.
In the first few days after eyelid surgery, slight pressure or soreness is normal . However, this pain can be easily contained with painkillers.
The eyelids remain swollen for some time after blepharoplasty. Bruising may also occur. However, the swelling disappears within a few days.
The surgeon uses self-dissolving stitches for the suture, which the body absorbs after some time. With normal stitches, the doctor will remove the stitches after about a week.
You can return to your normal routine after seven days. After 14 days it is possible to use cosmetics.
However, you should refrain from sport and physical exertion for the first three to four weeks after blepharoplasty.
For optimal results, you should take care to protect your eyes from sunlight after eyelid surgery. Sunglasses with dark-colored, large lenses can help.
In general, good sun protection, plenty of sleep and a healthy diet are the best support for maintaining the results of the operation as well as possible and slowing down the natural ageing process.
However, this cannot always be stopped. A repeat blepharoplasty should therefore be considered if necessary. However, repeated eyelid corrections can be associated with poorer healing. This also increases the risk of malpositioning.
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