Dr. James Rosing performs upper eyelid skin excess removal (blepharoplasty) in the office, under local anesthesia.
"Upper blepharoplasty is one of the most underutilized plastic surgery procedures by both women as well as men. I think for most people, contemplating any procedure performed near the eye is anxiety provoking. Though I can quite confidently say, patients who have undergone the procedure consistently report one thing; they wish they had done it sooner. The procedure is delicate, though straight forward, with subtle though notable results, and has a short recovery."
The aim of upper eyelid plastic surgery, blepharoplasty, is to remove all excess skin above the upper eyelid crease. I perform the marking for upper blepharoplasty by having the patient sit upright facing forward with eyes closed. I then mark the natural upper eyelid crease defined by the superior border of the tarsal plate, typically 9-10 millimeters above the lash-line. I then use forceps to gently grasp the excess skin that folds over the crease until it is taught without having the effect of opening the eyelid and mark the location.
The same technique of marking continues from the nasal portion of the upper eyelid to the temporal portion of the upper eyelid. This creates a segment of skin above the upper eyelid crease that is redundant and can be surgically removed and the edges approximated with a suture. In doing so, the person before was unable to see their upper eyelids when looking in the mirror, and after can fully see their upper eyelids.
The result is subtle though significant and successfully transforms one from looking tired to refreshed and vibrant. The eye seems to appear more open again, creating an energetic and youthful aesthetic. For the lower eyelids, often repositioning periorbital fat (fat transfer) into the groove at the tear trough is effective to smooth the lower eyelid contour eliminating shadowing. I find eyelid surgery to be among the most attractive types of surgery, as it is minimally invasive to patients, provides a consistently satisfying result, with very little downtime.