With age, the skin around the eyes changes, causing the appearance of eyelids bags (or festoons) below the lower eyelid, and droopy eyelids above the upper eyelid, referred by the patients as heavy or baggy eyelids. The fat within the eye socket may also start to bulge, causing under eye hollows to appear and altering the look of the face significantly. This happens equally among women and men.

For these people who want to eliminate such issues, blepharoplasty is the best solution to achieve a more desired look around the eyes.

Blepharoplasty is a cosmetic procedure, though in some cases it is also done for medical reasons.

It is a safe and highly popular procedure, has a short recovery time, and can provide you the best results.

Blepharoplasty is not the only way forward for eyelid rejuvenation. There are non-surgical options, and minimally invasive techniques too:

• Facial fillers are used to restore volume to the tear trough
• Excess lower eyelid fat can also be removed without any external incisions. This technique is known as Transconjunctival Blepharoplasty
• Injecting fat grafted from your own body to the tear trough area helps restore fullness and young looks.

During our initial consultation, I will be in a better position to guide which technique will suit you the most. Connect with me today to schedule an appointment.

If you are an adult – male or female, are in generally good health, with realistic goals of what can be achieved through blepharoplasty, you can potentially be a good candidate for blepharoplasty.

If the fine lines and wrinkles around your eyes are bothering you, and if the puffiness and sagging eyebags make you appear older than your age and more tired, then you sound like the right candidate for blepharoplasty.

During our initial consultation, I will evaluate the seriousness of your condition and the need for you to undertake this procedure. My experience and success as an Oculoplastic Surgeon will help us making a joint decision towards the next steps.

Blepharoplasty results are long-lasting. The fat cells that are removed during the surgery do not reappear easily. The lower eyelid surgery is rarely ever repeated. The upper eyelid surgery results can easily last over 10 years. Of course, our eyes will continue aging even after the procedure is done.

Blepharoplasty is usually done as an outpatient procedure, and the patient goes back home the same day accompanied with a friend or relative.

The swelling and bruising may take a few days to recede, and the stiches are usually opened within a week’s time. By this time, the eyelids look normal and younger. And when you resume work / social activities, your colleagues will remark on your fresh looks.  

Following the recommended post-recovery plan will help you recover faster.

Importantly, the skill of your blepharoplasty surgeon also affects your recovery period. When we meet, I will share actual cases of my patients and what enabled their quick recovery.

Every surgery carries some risks, but at this stage of my experience and expertise, I have been successful in eliminating the following risks:

• Life threatening risks such as Thromboembolism, etc.
• Infections of any kind
• Excessive Bleeding
• Seromas

Some of the risks that I have been able to reduce significantly are:

• Scars of the port
• Skin unevenness
• Lumpiness
• Skin laxity
• Contour deformities
• Over correction
• Under correction

There are some risks that are unpredictable and out of my control:

• Improper skin retraction
• Recurrence of fat

The cost of blepharoplasty in Dubai varies based on the following factors:

• Blepharoplasty technique used for the surgery
• Hospital/ Clinic used for the surgery
• Skill & expertise of the blepharoplasty surgeon

Since Blepharoplasty is usually done as a cosmetic procedure, and rarely for medical reasons, insurance does not always cover the cost. It is therefore important that you are fully aware of the total costs of the procedure, from initial consultation to follow-ups, so you can make an informed decision.

Another significant aspect to take into consideration, besides just the costs, is your comfort factor with the blepharoplasty surgeon, and your faith in the surgeon’s expertise. Pay a bit more – but be sure, and be comfortable with your surgeon.

To know the cost applicable for your specific case, please book a consultation.

The choice of your blepharoplasty surgeon is a decision to be made with due care. While cost is a relevant consideration, there are other more important factors that should determine your decision:

• Qualifications and certification, specifically plastic surgery related certifications and memberships, such as membership of American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)
• Years of experience as a plastic surgeon, especially as a Oculoplastic Surgeon, and number of surgeries done
• Number of Blepharoplasty surgeries done, and frequency thereof
• Proof of work – before/ after images
• Patient testimonials
• Surgeon reputation
• Your comfort factor with the surgeon, his manners, his patience in answering your questions
• Surgeon’s philosophy regarding patient safety

You are planning a surgery, so it’s very important that you decide wisely.

You can read my full profile here.

The clinic or hospital for your Blepharoplasty surgery should be carefully chosen. Ensure that the facility is licensed. A hospital is not necessary for a Blepharoplasty surgery, an accredited/ licensed clinic is just fine.

The clinic should have a licensed anaesthetist on board, competent nursing and operations staff, and the surgical room should be clean and hygienic.

Ministry of Health (MOH), Dubai regularly conducts inspection of all medical and surgical facilities in Dubai and license is granted or renewed only if the prescribed conditions regarding hygiene, safety, etc. are met.

My medical center – Cocoona Center for Aesthetic Transformation, Dubai is an MOH-licensed clinic, and we are permitted to perform surgeries under local anaesthesia. We also have competent anaesthesiolgists on board, and a full team of caring and professional nurses, patient counselors, and other support staff.

The basic Blepharoplasty process involves removal of excess fat and skin from either the upper eyelid, or the lower eyelid, or from both. I have done multiple blepharoplasty surgeries to improve the area around my patients’ eyes. The surgery will be done either at an accredited day care surgical facility such as my medical center Cocoona, in Dubai, or a hospital, depending upon your choice, and anesthesia considerations.

Understanding the process involves knowing about anesthesia, the surgical steps, post-procedure recovery, return to normalcy, risks involved, and expected results.   

• What anesthesia is used?  

The procedure involves some form of anesthesia.

Mostly it can be done under local anesthesia with IV sedation. After IV sedation, I inject local anesthesia on the eyelids, using the smallest possible needle, and you will not feel anything.

In a few cases, full anesthesia may be recommended, especially if the patient does not want to be ‘conscious’ during the procedure.

• What are the surgical steps during this procedure? 

For upper eyelid surgery, after the anesthesia is administered, first I will make an incision in the normal skin crease of the eyelid. This ensures that the scar remains hidden and invisible after the surgery. Then using either a scalpel, or laser device, or RF cutting device, I will remove the excess skin. This will be followed by fat removal or disbursal. Finally, if needed, other corrections may also be done, such as – correction of droopy eyelids, brow lift, and repositioning of a prolapsed tear gland. After these steps, sutures are put in place to close the incision.

For lower eyelid surgery, after the anesthesia, the steps undertaken differ according to the goals of the operation.

In some cases, either or all, of the following may need attention:

• The eye-lid tendons may need tightening
• The bulging fat may need removal or re-distribution
• The cheek/midface may need lifting
• Wrinkles may need removal
• The hollows beneath the eyelids may need filling    

Based on the requirement, this surgery will be customised for each patient.

For patients with excess skin causing wrinkles, I make the incision just below the eyelash line. This allows for easy removal of excess fat, and skin. This incision can also be used to correct the eye bags issue simultaneously.

If excess skin is not the issue, and only eye bags need correction, I usually use the transconjunctival approach, wherein the incision is made along the inside of the lower eyelid. This method allows me to address the prolapsed fat (causing the eye bags) in a sutureless and scarless fashion, and helps in a quicker recovery.

If it’s a tear trough deformity case, the excess fat from the eyelid is repositioned over the eye socket acting as a filler.

During our initial consultation, I will explain these procedures as appropriate to your specific case.

At this stage, you are likely to have some more questions for me to clarify. Some such questions are covered herein. I will be glad to answer these and any other concerns you have.

• What is the recovery phase immediately after the procedure? 

After completing the procedure, as the effects of the anesthesia wears out, there will be mild soreness which is easily controlled with pain killers. Applying regular cold compress aids the reduction of post-operative swelling. Prescribed eye drops will help soothe the eyes.

After a week or so, the sutures are removed, and general eye check-up is done. Most of the swelling disappears within the first 2 weeks, and you can resume work then. Make-up can be used safely after 10 – 12 days.

• When will the results be visible? 

In most cases, you will see some improvement immediately, and then gradually notice further improvement. After the swelling disappears, which is around 10-12 days, your friends will see the difference and comment on your fresher looks.

The suture marks will take much longer to fade.