German clinics of aesthetic and plastic surgery offer a wide range of services for patients from all over the world, including rejuvenation procedures, body and face contour correction. All operations, among them blepharoplasty, are performed in highly equipped operating rooms by high-class surgeons who know exactly how to achieve the desired result.
One of the most popular services of the clinic is blepharoplasty, a plastic surgery on the upper and lower eyelids, designed to eliminate any of eyelid defects and age-related changes. In Germany blepharoplasty can be performed either as an independent procedure or can be combined with other aesthetic surgeries.
Folds, wrinkles, unesthetic bags under the eyes can be effectively eliminated using skilfully conducted blepharoplasty. Since beautiful eyes indicate youth and beauty, the elimination of eyelid defects can significantly rejuvenate the face, making the gaze fresh and open.
Eyelid surgery is most popular plastic surgery 2019
The new leader in cosmetic surgery is upper eyelid surgery or blepharoplasty. With a total of 4,369 upper eyelid lifts performed, the operation is just before liposuction with 4,322 operations in 2019.
In the case of the upper eyelid lift performed on women, however, the distance is smaller. In 2019, 3,752 women underwent upper eyelid surgery, while 3,694 women underwent liposuction. This is followed shortly by breast augmentation with 3,503 procedures.
For men, on the other hand, the upper eyelid lift is only number 3 of the most popular cosmetic surgery for men in 2019 with 616 procedures. The list clearly leads the gynecomastia correction with 860 procedures in place 1, while liposuction follows with 628 operations in place 2.
Eyelid surgery - for me?
Wrinkles around the eyes, bags under the eyes and sagging eyelids are more or less pronounced due to family reasons and, in extreme cases, cause pathological limitations. This natural aging process leads to an unsightly change in the eye area and affects a youthful appearance. Eyelid surgery is almost always for aesthetic reasons and only you can decide whether and at what age you want to undergo this procedure.
What actually happens with eyelid surgery?
With the lid plastic, the excess skin on upper and lower eyelids is removed with the scalpel. The extent of the correction strongly depends on the individual condition of your eyelids. By measuring the skin on the lids exactly, a uniform, symmetrical result can be achieved. The skin and muscles are tightened automatically when the excess skin is removed - that's about as much as can be grasped with two fingers.
The so-called eye bags made of fatty tissue are gently removed along with the eyelid surgery. If there are strong laugh lines in the lower eyelids, part of the excessively strong eyelid muscles are also removed.
What results can be achieved?
After the operation, the lower eyelids are wrinkle-free at rest, but not when smiling. The sometimes dark and extremely thin skin of the lower eyelids cannot be lightened or strengthened by eyelid surgery.
What remains is a fine, thin line that is based on the natural eyelid folds. The upper eyelids are significantly smoother after the procedure, the view appears more open and the eyes appear more radiant.
Form of anesthesia and hospitalization for an eyelid surgery
A calming injection takes away nervousness and excitement and ensures that you experience the procedure in half sleep. For local anesthesia, you get a puncture on the four lids with a tiny cannula, which you will hardly feel.
However, if you do not want to be aware of the operation, you can also be operated on under general anesthesia. For this, the necessary examinations must be carried out the day before your appointment and the anesthetic must be discussed with the anesthetist. However, keep in mind that general anesthesia is always associated with additional risks. As a rule, this intervention is carried out as part of a short inpatient stay (one night).
How do I prepare for the surgery?
Before the operation, you need an ophthalmological examination to determine whether your facial area or tear secretion may be impaired. In addition, your eye fundus should also be examined before eyelid surgery. Please perform the findings on the date of the operation. For the duration of 14 days before the operation you should not take painkillers such as B. aspirin, as these delay blood clotting. You should also largely avoid alcohol and sleeping pills. Obtain a small supply of compresses and two to three soft cooling elements. A migraine mask also does a good job. No further preparations are required. However, you should have no make-up and rest and bring dark sunglasses.
Blepharoplasty. Goals and types of blepharoplasty
One should note that blepharoplasty in Germany is considered one of the most complicated types of cosmetological surgical intervention. Using blepharoplasty one can:
- Perform a separate correction of the overhanging upper eyelid using the "blepharoplasty" surgery;
- Correct the shape of the eyelids using the "blepharoplasty" surgery;
- Eliminate excess skin in the overhanging eyelid using the "blepharoplasty" surgery;
- Reduce or eliminate bags under the eyes using the "blepharoplasty" surgery;
- Eliminate small wrinkles and tonify the skin around the eyes using the "blepharoplasty" surgery.
Blepharoplasty in Germany. Surgical access in blepharoplasty
Several effective methods of blepharoplasty are actively used in Germany. Each method is selected depending on the patient's’ problem and their individual wishes:
- Upper blepharoplasty with percutaneous or transconjunctival access;
- Lower blepharoplasty with percutaneous or transconjunctival access;
- Lower fat-preserving blepharoplasty preserving and redistributing the subcutis.
Before the blepharoplasty, the surgeon discusses the problem together with the patient and chooses the best methods to solve it. A number of tests are also conducted to exclude the possibility of contraindications for the blepharoplasty.
Blepharoplasty of the upper eyelids (upper blepharoplasty)
Ptosis or lowering of the upper eyelid is one of the main reasons that forces people to resort to upper blepharoplasty in Germany. This defect makes the face of any person gloomy and, moreover, makes them look significantly older. In addition, the overhanging tissues of the upper eyelid may obscure the normal vision. In such cases, blepharoplasty has not only aesthetical, but also functional significance.
Upper blepharoplasty is usually performed under local anesthesia and always begins with the surgeon determining the amount of excess skin using special techniques and applying specific markings. The discission in blepharoplasty is made along the natural fold of the skin. The skin excess is dissected out according to the previously applied markings. The fat tissue that forms a protrusion in outer corner of the eye can also be excised. Blepharoplasty of the upper eyelid usually takes about twenty minutes for each eye. At the end of the procedure the discission is neatly sutured to be invisible afterwards.
Blepharoplasty of the lower eyelids (lower blepharoplasty)
In the beginning of the lower blepharoplasty in Germany the surgeon also applies a special marking to the skin. Outside of the lower eyelid, just below the eyelash growth line, a small incision is made. After that the excess subcutaneous fat and the excision of skin are removed. Surgeon uses a special suturing technique, thanks to which the scars remain virtually invisible.
The blepharoplasty of lower eyelid is also performed under local anesthesia and takes very little time. It is worth noting that this operation is very common among men over fifty, for whom bags under the eyes, spoiling the appearance, are an actual problem.
Procedure and methods of blepharoplasty
Before a eyelid surgery is in any case the thorough investigation. Apart from a careful history, in which pre-existing conditions and the general condition are determined, you must undergo a series of eye examinations. Most of these tests are familiar to you from the ophthalmologist's regular checkup: visual field check, intraocular pressure measurement, tear cell secretion test, eye gap measurement, and eyelid lift test.
Blepharoplasty is usually performed as an outpatient procedure. It can be performed in local anesthesia (local anesthesia), in twilight sleep or under general anesthesia. The optimal variant is decided on a case-by-case basis and depends inter alia on whether further interventions, for example an eyebrow lift, are carried out.
The first step in blepharoplasty on the upper eyelid is to draw the removed skin strips above the eyelid crease in the awake patient. This guarantees a perfect eyelid closure after the procedure. During surgery, surplus skin and fat and muscle parts are removed in the operating area. For wound closure mostly modern laser procedures are used.
The lower eyelid tightening can be done in two ways. The more common is with a small incision on the lower edge of the eyelash. Again, the areas to be removed are first marked before the excess fat and skin are removed with laser assistance. In some cases, the connective tissue is additionally supported by special sutures. In relatively young patients whose skin elasticity makes the removal of skin unnecessary, the incision can be placed in the conjunctival fold. This so-called transconjunctival blepharoplasty has the advantage that no scars remain visible.
Rehabilitation after blepharoplasty
In order to evaluate the final results of the blepharoplasty performed in Germany, you may need about four to six weeks. During this period, the eyelid tissue completely recovers its flexibility, the seams dissolve and the swelling subsides. In the first few days after the blepharoplasty, it is necessary to visit the doctor so that they can evaluate the progress of the recovery and remove the stitches.
Throughout the rehabilitation period after the blepharoplasty, it is recommended to sleep with a slightly raised head and not to tilt it. The doctor may also advise applying cold compresses to the eyelids. During the first few weeks after the blepharoplasty, bruises can form and visual acuity can be reduced. These phenomena are considered to be normal and will subside on their own. With the proper care the positive effects of the blepharoplasty can last for more than ten to twelve years.
So, blepharoplasty can help achieve excellent results, returning the patients the youthfulness and freshness of their face. With lifted eyelids, an open look and the absence of pronounced wrinkles you will look much more attractive and feel more confident and comfortable. Experienced specialists from German clinics will do everything possible to make blepharoplasty give the expected results and even more.
If you are interested in a blepharoplasty made in Germany, you can contact the specialists of our clinic through the contacts page on our website.
Cost of eyelid surgery
Eyelid tightening can in many cases significantly contribute to a younger look. This small surgical procedure eliminates the drooping lids and bags under the eyes and makes the entire eye area firmer.
The cost of such treatment depends on the extent of the correction, the method chosen and the doctors' individual prices. Therefore costs for a eyelid tightening are not stated on a flat-rate basis, but determined only after consultation and examination by the attending physician.
Cost for blepharoplasty in comparison
According to the Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons in Germany for a professional eyelid tightening costs between 2000 € and 3600 € arise. The table below gives an indication of the cost of correcting upper and lower eyelids.
Cost components of a eyelid lift
As a rule, in the case of eyelid surgery, prices for individual "treatment modules" are set and added to a total.
If the upper and lower eyelid are to be corrected, it is advisable to tighten both in one operation. As a result, for example, the costs for operating room or technology only once.
Risks of blepharoplasty
Like any surgical procedure, blepharoplasty involves surgical risks from bleeding and infection. The medication to be changed prior to surgery for chronic diseases should be critically assessed during a cosmetic procedure. Respiratory and cardiovascular disorders may be the exclusion criteria for blepharoplasty.
Specific risks of blepharoplasty have become rarer due to improved procedures in recent years. The comparatively harmless complications include pigmentation disorders. It can also cause dry eyes and growths of the scar tissue. Even more critical are the potential increase in intraocular pressure or corneal injury in the course of surgery. In the event of incorrect interventions, an eyelid malposition may occur. If even eyelid closure becomes impossible, follow-up surgery must be used to allow the patient to close the eye. Very rare are cases of blindness, which can arise from pressure on the optic nerve by rebleeding. In general, the risks of a lower eyelid correction are higher than with a correction of the upper eyelids.