Eyelid surgery: any advice?

December 23, 2012 6:18 AM

Your experiences/tips for having eyelids lifted (blepharoplasty)?

My eyelids are droopy to the point that I must have blepharoplasty to lift them and prevent further impediment to my eyesight.

Looking for tips and advice from MeFites who may have had this procedure, or know someone who has. I understand this is fairly minor but anytime eyes are involved, I get nervous.

Thanks for your wisdom and happy holidays to everyone on the green.

posted by Ginesthoi to Health & Fitness (14 answers total)

I myself haven't had the procedure, but I read that Paris Hilton did and it nicked a muscle and is why her one eye is droopy. So be very careful when choosing a surgeon.
posted by discopolo at 6:51 AM on December 23, 2012

My mom had it around age 55 and has been THRILLED with the results. She feels she looks much younger, and it's much easier for her to see.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 7:06 AM on December 23, 2012

PRP is helpful for healing with less bruising, inflammation and pain. You might want to talk to your cosmetic surgeon about it. Also, any surgeon can do plastic surgery, you want a surgeon who is board certified in cosmetic surgery who also specializes in facial surgery- not your local lipo pro. Do your research, don't just randomly pick the guy with the flashiest website.
posted by PorcineWithMe at 7:23 AM on December 23, 2012 [1 favorite]

My mom had it done . . five? seven? years ago and has been very pleased.
posted by Medieval Maven at 7:35 AM on December 23, 2012

I read that Paris Hilton did and it nicked a muscle and is why her one eye is droopy

I'm not sure where you read this, but when I googled it, all I could find was unfounded speculation that she was considering surgery to make her eyes more even - nothing at all about a blepharoplasty gone badly. There is lots of speculation that she's had various plastic surgeries, she denies having any. So I think this was probably just a rumor.

(Not trying to derail; just hoping that this question doesn't lead to more anxiety instead of less!)
posted by insectosaurus at 7:37 AM on December 23, 2012 [2 favorites]

I know several people who have had it and been happy. I looked into it once, asked about risks, and was told the only risk is that they'd take too much, and then the patient would have trouble closing their eye all the way, and get dry eyes. I agree with PorcineWithMe - get a good surgeon, and one who will discuss with you what could go wrong.
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 7:45 AM on December 23, 2012

There are a bunch of happy and not-happy stories, many with before-and-after photos, on this site.
posted by ceiba at 8:14 AM on December 23, 2012

My mom had this done last December, and she is really happy with the results. The area around her eyes was bruised for a while - noticeably for about three weeks, and noticeable to her for a while more.

She was religious about icing her eyes, and that helped a lot. I think she did fifteen minutes every other hour or so, or whatever her doctor had recommended.

The actual surgery itself was a breeze for her. She wishes she'd done it sooner.
posted by punchtothehead at 8:15 AM on December 23, 2012

My dad did it a around 60 yo and he had no complaints and seemed to be happy with the results.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 8:25 AM on December 23, 2012

Someone in a close friend's family has had this done after a medical practitioner noticed the eyelids might have been blocking the person's sight. According to the family it made a huge difference in the person's mood, cognition, and quality of life.
posted by yohko at 12:20 PM on December 23, 2012

Make sure you pick a good surgeon. A friend of mine had this done, he tightened them too much and for years afterward she could not completely close her eyes.

I do know others who have had it done and everything went just fine.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 12:42 PM on December 23, 2012

I had this done on one eyelid as an adolescent. It involved shortening of the tendon, and the surgeon over-corrected. I basically had to learn to sleep with one eye half open, which—trust me on this—is a bit of a skill. The cosmetic results, although not the primary reason for the surgery, were also less than ideal. A few years later, I had a second surgery to correct the first one, and it was successful. Since then it's looked completely normal and the difference in the range of closing is negligible. I don't think you need to worry about a risk to your eyes or eyesight, but definitely do your research and find a good surgeon. As they say in carpentry, measure twice, cut once.
posted by dephlogisticated at 1:47 PM on December 23, 2012

My mother-in-law had this done about 10 years ago and was/is thrilled with the results. We did a LOT of research into surgeons and chose a cosmetic surgeon who had lots and lots and lots of experience with this particular surgery.

Follow post-op care instructions to the letter. Do your research and good luck!
posted by cooker girl at 3:49 PM on December 23, 2012

Response by poster: Many thanks to all of you for giving me lots to think about and research. So happy to hear that this surgery was a positive experience for many folks.
posted by Ginesthoi at 9:31 AM on December 26, 2012