Am I a Good Candidate For Eyelid Surgery?

The best candidates for eyelid surgery are men and women who are physically healthy and would like to brighten then appearance. While most eyelid surgery patients are in the 30s or older, some patients have excess skin and folds in their upper eyelids or excess fat under their eyes for hereditary reasons and may elect to have eyelid surgery at a younger age.

Eyelid surgery may not be an option for people with the following medical conditions: Thyroid problems such as hypothyroidism and Graves’ disease, dry eye or lack of sufficient tear production, high blood pressure and other circulatory disorders, cardiovascular disease, or diabetes. A detached retina and glaucoma can also lead Dr. Csikai to advising against eyelid surgery. If you suffer from any of these medical conditions, be sure to discuss your specific condition with Dr. Csikai during your initial consultation.

About Eyelid Surgery in Jacksonville

Your Initial Consultation

If you are interested in Eyelid Surgery in Jacksonville at First Coast Plastic Surgery, the first step is an initial consultation with Dr. Csikai. In your initial consultation, you will have an opportunity to talk with Dr. Csikai about the specific aspects of your upper and lower eyelids that you are most interested in addressing.

After understanding your goals, Dr. Csikai will assure that you are a qualified candidate for eyelid surgery by evaluating your health and any medical condition you may have and also the condition of the skin around your eyes. Dr. Csikai will then give you his recommendations on how eyelid surgery can be tailored to best achieve your goals. His recommendations may also include adding browlift with the eyelid surgery as the two procedures work very well together to brighten one’s appearance.

If you elect to move forward with eyelid surgery, you will be given detailed information about preparing for the procedure, including guidelines on eating and drinking, smoking, and taking or avoiding certain vitamins, supplements and medications.

If you smoke, it is especially important to stop smoking at least a week or two before your surgery and during your recovery period. Smoking inhibits blood flow to the skin, and can slow your recovery and affect your final results. In preparing for your eyelid surgery, it will be necessary for you to arrange for a friend or family member to drive you home after your surgery and assist you for a few days after your surgery.

About Eyelid Surgery

Eyelid surgery is performed at First Coast Plastic Surgery’s on-site state licensed ambulatory surgical center with the patient under general anesthesia. Some minor eyelid procedures can be performed with the patient under local anesthesia.

Eyelid surgery usually takes one to three hours depending on the extent of the respective procedure. In a typical procedure, Dr. Csikai will first make the necessary incisions. Incision locations will have been discussed during the initial consultation and are chosen based on the needs of each patient. Dr. Csikai will work through the incisions to separate the skin from underlying fatty tissue and muscle and excess fat is removed. Sagging skin and folds are trimmed and removed to tighten and smooth the upper and or lower eyelids. Incisions are then closed with very fine sutures.

Some patients have excess fat in their lower eyelids often referred to as bags under their eyes but don’t have wrinkles or excess skin that needs to be removed. In these cases, Dr. Csikai is able to perform transconjunctival blepharoplasty where the incision is made inside of the lower eyelid and allows for the removal of excess fat without the need for a visible incision. This technique is usually reserved for younger patients with thicker, more elastic skin.

In the final steps of the blepharoplasty procedure, Dr. Csikai will lubricate the patient’s eyes with ointment and cover the eye area with gauze padded bandages.

Recovery After Eyelid Surgery

As you begin recovery, you will be asked to keep your head elevated for several days, and to gently use cold compresses to reduce swelling and bruising. Bruising will reach its peak in the first few days of recovery and depending on the extent of the respective procedure will completely dissipate by week two and week four. For the first few weeks you may also experience excessive tearing.

You’ll be shown how to clean your eyes, which may be gummy for a week or so due to your body’s response to the surgery. Dr. Csikai often recommend eyedrops to sooth dryness and ease any burning or itching sensations. It is very important to avoid touching or rubbing your eyes as this can alter results and lead to infection. During your recovery you may also experience a heightened sensitivity to light.

Dr. Csikai will follow your progress very closely for the first week or two. In the first week of recovery, sutures will be removed. Strenuous activities should be avoided for 2 to 3 weeks. Most patients are back to work and light activities within 10 days. The final results of your eyelid surgery will likely not emerge for 30 to 45 days but when they do, patients are always excited about their newly refreshed, brighter and more youthful appearance.

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