Upper and Lower Eyelid Surgery - Melbourne, Victoria
The eyelids are often the first area of the face to show signs of ageing, with sagging, wrinkled skin especially in the upper lids and excess skin,wrinkles and bags in the lower eyelids. These changes make people look tired even when they are not, often inviting unwelcome comments from those around them. Mr. Maxwell performs eyelid surgery- also known as blepharoplasty - to restore a fresher and more youthful appearance.
Upper Eyelid Surgery
Over time, the ageing process can cause the upper eyelids to droop and sag as loose skin develops and fatty tissue begins to bulge forwards. Sometimes there is so much loose skin that it hangs over the lashes, partially obscuring the field of vision. The technical name for this is blepharochalasis. Mr. Maxwell performs upper eyelid surgery as a hospital day stay procedure or as an office procedure at his main rooms in Malvern.
Surgical Technique
The first step in the procedure is to trim away the excess skin. Bulging fat is then removed or restored to its proper place behind the eyelid. The eyelid skin is then closed with a running suture which is removed five days later. The corrugator muscles which cause the frown lines between the eyebrows (glabella) can be removed during upper blepharoplasty to permanently eliminate these lines. This is an alternative to injections of muscle paralysing agents. For more information about this type of blepharoplasty or other rejuvanating procedures such as the facelift or brow lift, contact the office of Mr. Maxwell today to schedule a consultation.
Lower Eyelid Surgery
Ageing can cause wrinkled excess skin and bags to develop under the eyes, making individuals appear older or more tired than they actually are. The bags consist of thickened ('hypertrophic') muscle, bulging fat and excess skin in various combinations. Lower eyelid surgery (lower blepharoplasty) can reduce and/or eliminate the effects of lower eyelid ageing.
Surgical Technique
To begin lower eyelid surgery, Mr. Maxwell makes an incision beneath the lower eyelashes. This incision is carefully placed so that the resulting scar will be barely noticeable to others. Then excess muscle tissue is removed. The bulging ('prolapsed') fat which traditionally was removed is either put back behind the eyelid where it came from, or utilised as fat grafts to fill the 'tear trough' depression between the eyelid and the nose. If fat excess is the only issue, then this can be approached from inside the eyelid thus leaving no visible scar ('trans-conjunctival blepharoplasty') but this procedure tends to leave excess skin behind. Swelling and bruising around the eyes resolves over ten days.