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About the Laser Eyelid Surgery Procedure
Laser Eyelid Surgery takes from one to three hours depending upon complexity. The patient is put on a combination of local anesthesia and a sedative. There is no incision by knife or scalpel as the incision is usually made under the eyelid by a precise laser beam. Excess fat, skin and tissue is removed through the incision. There is minimal bleeding reducing risks in recovery.
Number of Procedures: usually one
End result of Lower Laser Blephroplasty: 6 months
Possible Side Effects: Bleeding, infection, lower lid laxity, burning of lower lid skin,
damage to vision
Advantages of Laser Eyelid Surgery
- Ideal for lower lid skin laxity and pseudo-herniation fat pads (bags)
- Ideal for skin laxity over "crow's feet" area
- Promotes skin tightening from the inside (major advantage as compared to external skin tightening)
- Little or no down time
- Faster healing
- No O.R. anesthesia
- No O.R. expense
- Less Risky
- No cutting of tissue
Laser Eyelid Surgery vs. Traditional Eyelid Surgery
When deciding to undergo cosmetic eyelid surgery, there are several factors to consider. One is how safe the procedure will be, as safety is imperative when you are undergoing any surgery. The second is how long it will take to recover from surgery, and what side-effects the surgery has. The final factor is how long the effects of the surgery will last. There is a large difference between traditional eyelid surgery and laser eyelid surgery when it comes to these factors.
Traditional eyelid surgery, while effective, is outdated. The procedure itself includes using a scalpel or knife to cut away the skin from around the patient's eyelids. The instruments used in this procedure can cause heavy bleeding where the incisions are made if they are not made precisely, obscuring the doctor's view. This can cause a lot difficulty during the procedure. Scarring can also occur with this technique, therefore eliminating the real benefit of the surgery. Although scarring does not always occur, it is frequent enough to cause concern. Traditional eyelid surgery also has a long recovery time. During the recovery time, bruising and swelling may occur around the eyes and nose. These side-effects can last up to several weeks. Unfortunately, after a long period of time, the eyes may begin to look hollow, negating the surgery's positive effect. This means additional surgery to correct the side-effect of another.
Laser eyelid surgery, or laser blepharoplasty, is fairly new but extremely effective. The instrument used in this surgery is a laser beam, typically a CO2 laser. It is often preferred over traditional eyelid surgery as the chance of scarring is reduced by a vast amount. The laser beam also makes clean incisions that cauterize the blood vessels so there is minimal bleeding. This helps the doctor perform the surgery more effectively, as the bleeding will not obscure his vision as much as it would during traditional eyelid surgery. This not only makes the surgery quicker, it also makes it safer and more effective. The recovery period for laser eyelid surgery is significantly shorter than that of traditional eyelid surgery, though there are similar side-effects. Bruising will still occur during the recovery period, as can scarring, though the chances of both are reduced greatly.
Comparing the two surgeries, laser eyelid surgery has been proven to be the fastest, safest, and most effective of the two. Although many still choose to undergo the traditional eyelid surgery because it has been used for longer, laser eyelid surgery is quickly replacing the traditional method, as it is more likely to provide all of the desired effects with fewer drawbacks.
