By removing excess fat, skin and muscle from the upper and lower eyelids, blepharoplasty can rejuvenate puffy, sagging or tired-looking eyes. It is typically a cosmetic procedure but can also improve vision by lifting droopy eyelids out of the patient’s field of vision. Blepharoplasty cannot be used to raise the eyebrows or reduce the appearance of wrinkles, crow’s feet or dark circles under the eyes, but the procedure can be combined with others such as a facelift and BOTOX® treatments to achieve these results.
The Procedure
The procedure is usually performed in an office with local anesthesia and normally lasts about 45 minutes. Incisions are made along the eyelids in inconspicuous places (in the creases of the upper lids, and just below the lashes on the lower lids). Dr. Funt removes excess tissue through these incisions and then stitches them closed with fine sutures. In the case that no skin needs to be removed, Dr. Funt will likely perform a transconjunctival blepharoplasty, where the incision is made inside the lower eyelid and there are no visible scars.
Recovery
Stitches are removed after three or four days and most people return to work in ten. Contact lenses may not be worn for two weeks. Eyes can be sensitive to light and wind and may be slightly irritated for a short while; Dr. Funt may prescribe eye drops and cool compresses to counteract these discomforts.
Risks
Complications from the procedure are uncommon. They can include infection, reaction to anesthesia, double or blurred vision for a few days, temporary swelling of the eyelids, tiny whiteheads, and difficulty closing eyes when going to sleep. Uneven healing and scarring, and ectropion (pulling down of the lower lids) are very rare and may require surgical correction. Patients with thyroid problems, dry eye, high blood pressure, diabetes, detached retina, glaucoma or other health problems should consult with an ophthalmologist about eligibility.
Rhinoplasty is performed to reshape, reduce or augment a person's nose, remove a hump, narrow nostril width, change the angle between the nose and the mouth, or correct injury, birth defects, or other problems that affect breathing. If you feel that your nose is too large or wide, if there is a bump or hook in the bridge, if the nasal tip droops or is too thick, if you have a deviated septum or other obstruction that affects your breathing, or if your nose is misshapen due to a previous injury, you may be a candidate for rhinoplasty. Rhinoplasty is not recommended for children and teens until facial growth is complete, usually around age 13-14 for girls and 14-15 for boys.
The Procedure
Rhinoplasty is usually an outpatient procedure performed under either local or general anesthesia and lasts one to two hours. Other procedures that patients may choose to have in conjunction with rhinoplasty are chin surgery to better balance the nose with the rest of the face, turbinectomy to widen the nasal air passages, and septoplasty to straighten a deviated septum.
Dr. Funt may use one of two techniques: the incision is either made within the nostrils in a "closed" procedure, thus hiding scars after surgery, or across the columella (the vertical strip of tissue separating the nostrils) in an "open" procedure, where scars are small and hidden on the underside of the nasal base. In both procedures the skin is lifted, the bone and cartilage sculpted, and the skin replaced and stitched closed. After rhinoplasty, the nose will have a more pleasing contour and a better balance with the rest of the facial features.
Recovery
For a short time after surgery you may experience puffiness, nose ache or a dull headache, some swelling and bruising, bleeding or stuffiness. Most patients feel like themselves within two days and return to work in about a week. Contact lenses can be worn immediately but glasses cannot rest on the nose for several weeks.
Risks
Complications are rare and, when they occur, minor. These may include infection, nosebleed, or a reaction to the anesthesia.
