Cosmetic eyelid surgery, or a blepharoplasty, is a surgical procedure that produces a more youthful and aesthetically appealing eye. Changes around the eyes are some of the earliest signs of facial aging. The changes are influenced by eyebrow position, eyelid anatomy, genetics, sun exposure and smoking.  During your consult Dr. Haddock will discuss your goals and develop a treatment plan for your eyelid surgery.

Dr. Haddock is published on various techniques in eyelid surgery (see below).  In addition, he  described the pertinent anatomy in the lower eyelid that leads to some of the signs of aging.  With this experience he can approach your eyelids with a variety of techniques and offer a truly tailored treatment plan.

The changes in the upper eyelid are often due to excessive skin and fat accumulation or redistribution behind the eyelid skin and muscle. In the majority of patients, the upper eyelid blepharoplasty involves removal of excess skin and some upper eyelid fat. This combination can provide the patient with a more youthful contour. In some cases, fat loss along the orbital rims can produce the appearance of aging around the upper eyelid. Small amounts of fat can be injected along the orbital rim to improve this contour. The upper eyelid incisions are made on the natural skin crease of the lid. The incisions on the upper eyelids heal extremely well and after 2 or 3 weeks are barely seen or easily hidden with makeup.

Lower eyelid puffiness due to bulging fat is the most common problem. Many patients state that they have had some fat pad bulge of their lower lids most of their life. When the primary problem is budging fat, it can be removed by an incision that is hidden on the inside of the lower eyelid (transconjunctival). If there is excess skin and or excess muscle on the lower eyelid, a small incision just beneath the eyelashes may be required. The stitches are usually removed 2 days following surgery from the lower eyelid and the scar heals so it is almost imperceptible in most patients. Some patients need a combination of fat removal and fat repositioning on the lower eyelid in order to correct what is known as a tear trough deformity. Visually, this is seen as a grove or depression beneath the bulging fat.  In some patients fillers or fat injections can correct the tear trough deformity and fat removal is unnecessary.

Following eyelid surgery the sutures are usually removed by the 5th post-operative day. Bruising following eyelid surgery varies from person to person, but is usually gone in 7 to 10 days. When the transconjunctival approach is used to remove fat from the lower eyelids there are no sutures to be removed.