Eye Lid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)

The Operation: What Happens during Surgery?

Eye lid surgery is a relatively simply intervention lasting around 1.5 to 3 hours and carried out with local or general anesthetics.  Incisions are made as far as possible in the natural crease lines of your eye lids and are generally closed with dissolving sutures.  This helps minimise any scarring is minimal. 

There are two types of blepharoplasty, depending on where the incision is made and on which lid

Transconjunctival

This is the most common type and involves an incision on the inside of the lower lid, just below the lower lash line.  It removes excess fat, but does not remove skin, and therefore works best on under eye ‘bags’ or puffiness.

Transcutaneous

This incision, made through the skin on the lids’ natural crease lines, is more common on the upper lid surgery. Fat deposits are redistributed or removed, muscles are tightened and excess skin can be removed. 

Closing the incisions

Eyelid incisions typically are closed with:

• Absorbable sutures
• Skin adhesives
• Surgical tape