In general, “upper eyelid surgery is easy,” assures the New York-based double board-certified plastic surgeon Melissa Doft, MD. “It’s not as painful and a lot of skin tightens by the fourth or fifth week.” New York City Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Lara Devgan, MD, always tells her blepharoplasty patients that they “will look a little worse than they feel” and to have ice ready to help with swelling. Because the eye area is so delicate and vision can be blurry, both Drs. Devgan and Rosenberg want to send patients home with a private nurse for the first night. “Surgery is very stressful for patients, and I just think it makes for a smoother recovery,” says Dr. Rosenberg.
Dr. Chang cautions that a lower eyelid surgery “may take a little longer to resolve, just because the swelling may be a little more significant in those cases.” Dr. Rosenberg adds that for the upper eyelids, you’ll see “a great result within three weeks,” and for the lower eyelids, he estimates a maximum of six weeks until your eyes look normal again. During the three to six months following surgery, your eyelids will look “crispier, crispier, and crispier,” Dr. Chang says, as the skin tightens even more as healing continues.
What risks are associated with blepharoplasty?
Both upper and lower blepharoplasty are widely regarded as one of the safest cosmetic procedures when performed by an experienced board-certified plastic surgeon. Physical complications, such as dry eye or visual acuity, are usually temporary but may be permanent in the rare patient. An overly stretched feeling, as if the lid was pulled too tightly, is “not unusual” according to Dr. Chang and will correct itself in a very short time.
The most serious risk, according to Dr. Rosenberg, is inappropriate patient selection, which can lead to unnecessarily invasive treatment. “Sometimes the doctor suggests blepharoplasty when the patient really needs a brow lift,” she says, and sometimes even both to achieve the desired result. “It’s important to remember that it’s not just the skin of the eyelids, but often the brow as well, that has changed over time.”
Cheek and lower eye fillers can also be persistent enemies and can hinder the patient’s visit, especially to an untrained eye. “I always ask my patients if they’ve had a filler in the past, and even if it was eight years ago, I’ll use a dissolving agent to dissolve that old filler,” says Dr. Rosenberg, who notes that sometimes, it’s the only procedure a patient needs. “I adjust what I see and treat them based on one: are the fat bags from aging or the filler that was placed a long time ago does not look right?” he explains, “and two, is it the skin of the eyebrow or the upper eyelid? This is not cookie-cutter care.”
How much does an eyelid surgery cost?
Like any surgery, the cost depends on the location and skill of the surgeon, but a patient in New York City can expect to drop at least $8,000 for an upper eyelid procedure and $9,000 for a lower one, according to Dr. Devgan. “Some patients require fat grafting and others require internal tightening and so on,” he says. “[Cost] it really reflects the complexity of the surgery, as well as the different little maneuvers that can be done to adjust the results.”
