Question:
I have severe dry eye and have been told that having an eyelid lift might not be safe for me. What are the risks of this procedure for someone with my condition?
Answer:
The short answer is that there is no standard operation or blepharoplasty for every patient. Some patients have more puffiness and fatty tissue and some have extra skin. Some patients need to have their eyelids tightened at the same time and in most patients we are now also performing a fat transfer procedure to the upper cheeks as the hollowing of the upper cheeks make this deformity more noticeable. When it is appropriate, we always attempt to place the incision behind the eyelid rather than on the eyelid and this helps considerably in the recovery period. The procedure takes approximately 1.5 hours and is done with a twilight anesthesia.
About the Author: Dr. Edwin Williams
Dr. Edwin Williams is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon who founded The Williams Center in 1993. He has performed over 10,000 facial plastic surgery procedures and has pioneered the deep plane facelift. He served on the Board of Directors for the American Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery for over a decade, and served as President from 2015-2016. In 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, Dr. Williams earned the Castle Connelly Top Doctors award in New York Facial Plastic Surgery.
Dr. Edwin F. Williams III attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1982. He began medical school at the State University of Buffalo School of Medicine and received his Doctor of Medicine in 1986.
Dr. Williams is actively involved in teaching facial plastic and reconstruction surgery to the residents of the Albany Medical Center and is former Chief of the Section of Facial and Plastic Reconstruction Surgery at Albany Medical Center where he received an academic appointment of Clinical Professor, Department of Surgery.