The eyes are a prominent facial feature, with the lids and surrounding skin helping to convey emotion. The skin, muscle, fat, eyebrows, and lashes all contribute to a wide array of expressions. Unfortunately, as you age, wrinkles, deep lines, and puffiness under the lids may develop. Sun exposure and hereditary factors also accelerate the aging process, often resulting in changes that can make people appear fatigued, worn out, or older than their true age. These changes, beyond potential visual impairment, can lead to stress and anxiety. Excessive skin folds in the eyelids may form due to loss of skin elasticity, which can interfere with vision by reducing the visual field.
Our doctors are trained in a variety of surgical procedures, such as blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), forehead lifts, and brow lifts to address these issues.
To ensure the best approach, we will evaluate your medical history prior to surgery, as well as perform a complete examination of your eyes and face. The type, distribution, and amount of excess skin to be removed are carefully reviewed.
Our doctors will provide pre-operative instructions, including smoking cessation and discontinuing specific medications containing aspirin to minimize bleeding. Antibiotics may also be prescribed to prevent infection. Additionally, digital photographs and computer imaging will be used to help plan the surgery and assess anticipated results.
Initially, dryness of the eyes can occur after blepharoplasty, which can be alleviated with natural tear eye drops during the day and methylcellulose drops at night. If a transconjunctival incision is used, an eye ointment will be prescribed. You may also experience sensitivity to bright light and wind, as well as numbness and itching during healing. A final evaluation may be conducted several months after the procedure.
Our doctors can perform blepharoplasty to correct sagging eyelids, bags or pouches beneath the eyes, and excess folds around the eyes. This surgery involves removing excess skin and fat from the upper and/or lower eyelids and is often performed with other procedures, such as facelifts, brow lifts, or forehead lifts. Blepharoplasty can be done under general anesthesia, IV sedation, or local anesthesia, depending on your comfort level with procedures. See anesthetic options for more information.
Our doctors trace the natural lines and creases of your face to make precise incisions from the inner to outer edge of the eyelid. For the upper eyelid, the incision is made in the lid’s natural fold. For the lower eyelid, the incision is either made just below the lash line or inside the lid if only fat is being removed (this is called a transconjunctival incision). Excess skin and fat are conservatively removed. Small sutures are used to close the incisions, and special ointments or dressings may be applied. The surgery typically takes up to two hours, and a laser may also be used to reduce surrounding wrinkles.
Your insurance company may cover part or all of the surgery cost if it is performed to address visual impairment. If so, a pre-operative visual field test will be required, which an ophthalmologist will perform. The results, along with photographs documenting the impairment, will be submitted to your insurance company for preauthorization. Coverage varies, so please check with your insurance carrier to determine your specific level of coverage.
Serving the Following Cities
Loveland, Fort Collins, Greeley, Evans, Berthoud, Windsor, Timnath, Johnstown, Milliken, Severance, Ault, Wellington, Estes Park, Longmont, Mead, Firestone, Fort Morgan, Sterling, Cheyenne, Laramie
