Eyelid surgery, commonly called blepharoplasty, can completely change the look of your eyes. It can be performed in a hospital setting, surgery center setting, or doctor’s office with an anesthetic available so that you will remain comfortable throughout the procedure.
To qualify for medically necessary eyelid surgery, your upper eyelid skin must interfere with your vision field as determined through an eye test.
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Age
Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) is a cosmetic procedure to improve wrinkles and fine lines around the eyes and restore youthful looks. Since the skin around the eyes is thin, it’s more susceptible to signs of aging like loose or excess skin; eyelid surgery can also help with drooping lower or upper eyelids, making you appear older. Ideal candidates for eyelid surgery include healthy non-smokers with realistic expectations regarding what their experience with this process might bring them.
Most individuals who seek blepharoplasty are over 40; however, anyone can benefit from this surgery if they have excess or drooping skin around their eyes or puffy undereye bags that need to be addressed. Unfortunately, however, blepharoplasty will not reverse crow’s feet, fine lines, or other features associated with aging naturally.
Many individuals suffering from excess skin in their eyelids can benefit from consulting with a board-certified plastic surgeon to discuss treatment options. Insurance coverage may even be possible if an excessive build-up in upper eyelids interferes with their field of vision; to do this, patients will have to undergo a visual field test by an authorized healthcare professional.
At your consultation, the surgeon will use a series of standardized photographs to assess whether your eyelids are covering part of your field of vision and can submit an official insurance claim on your behalf based on these results.
Your drooping eyelids must reduce your field of vision by 12 degrees or 30% for them to qualify for insurance coverage; otherwise, they are considered elective, and you must pay out-of-pocket.
Preparing for a blepharoplasty procedure requires avoiding all medications that increase bleeding, including prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Furthermore, someone should be available to drive you home from your surgery and stay with you for several days post-surgery.
Smoking
Eyelid surgery (also called blepharoplasty) is a cosmetic procedure designed to tighten loose, sagging skin around the eyes and improve vision in cases where eyelids obstruct it. It may be performed on upper eyelids, lower lids, or both, depending on your aesthetic goals, and combined with other facial procedures like facelifting or forehead lifting for maximum effects.
Eyelid surgeries are increasingly popular among men and women who are dissatisfied with how their faces age, as they produce natural-looking results that may last permanently. While eyelid surgeries may help you look younger than your years, remember that it will not stop your face from aging further, and there may be other surgical and non-invasive cosmetic treatments available that could help achieve the look you’re going for.
As part of eyelid surgery, the initial consultation should include discussing your goals and expectations with your surgeon. Your surgeon will also evaluate any excess skin or fat around your eyes that could obstruct their view to assess if this procedure is correct for you.
Once approved for surgery, you will need to arrange for it. This could occur at your local hospital or private clinic and will likely include anesthesia and some form of sedation. Your surgeon will consider any medical conditions or allergies that might impede recovery as they deem fit.
After surgery, you will require rest and recovery for several days following. While you may experience mild pain or discomfort during this time, most can be managed using over-the-counter medicines or ointments prescribed by your surgeon. You should avoid straining, squinting, squinting, and straining to keep the incisions clean to prevent infection; some individuals may experience dry eyes as a side effect of surgery, which usually lasts no longer than two weeks.
Eyelid surgery should be treated as a cosmetic process, not a medical one; as such, Medicare or private health insurance won’t cover it. That doesn’t mean it wouldn’t benefit your overall facial appearance if it becomes noticeable as time passes.
Weight
Age can cause us to develop sagging upper eyelid skin and excess fat in the lower lid, creating an aged or tired appearance and impacting vision. Blepharoplasty surgery offers an effective solution to address these cosmetic concerns and restore natural beauty; however, specific criteria must first be fulfilled to undergo this procedure.
The general criteria for eyelid surgery candidates is good overall health without any medical conditions that would compromise healing or increase complications risk. Your surgeon can determine this during the initial consultation process.
During this procedure, an incision is created within one of the natural creases or lid lines to enable skilled tightening or removal of loose skin, and any remaining fat and tissue is carefully readjusted or eliminated to achieve desired results. Muscles are then recontoured to give eyelids a more youthful appearance.
Aging and genetics are often to blame for eyelids drooping over time, though other factors can also play a part in this. Diet, lifestyle, and medications all may contribute to heavy eyelids developing over time; surgery for such issues may even be covered by health insurance if the lids interfere with someone’s field of vision, something which can be determined through taking part in a field vision test conducted by a licensed professional.
Before going under the knife for a blepharoplasty procedure, it’s a good idea to prepare by cutting back or eliminating specific foods and beverages that could irritate the delicate area. Furthermore, it would help if you began taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) several days beforehand to alleviate pain, swelling, and bruising during and after your process.
Choosing an experienced surgeon when considering eyelid lift surgery for optimal results would be best. To ensure both safety and satisfaction, discuss your goals and expectations with them so they can develop a tailored plan to help achieve youthful beauty.
Medical Conditions
Some individuals suffering from eye conditions may qualify for eyelid surgery; the procedure could help improve their vision. Surgeons offer surgery to remove excess skin from either upper eyelids or lower eyelids that could obstruct one’s vision and tighten loose muscles surrounding them to make them firmer and suppler. Reduced the appearance of eye bags caused by muscle weakness due to age, surgery can help diminish their appearance. Surgery may occur at an outpatient surgery center, hospital, or surgeon’s office-based surgical facility. Patients typically stay at hospitals or surgery centers for one or two nights, depending on their procedure’s length. Anesthesia options available during surgery can include local (which numbs specific areas) or general anesthesia – with local anesthesia providing localized pain relief while the public puts patients to sleep for their surgery experience.
Some private health insurers offer coverage for eyelid surgery; however, ascertaining this fact will involve extensive assessments, medical visits, and photographic and visual field tests before deciding on coverage.
Before being considered eligible for coverage, drooping eyelids must interfere with their field of vision. A surgeon may conduct a visual field test to measure blind spots in one’s peripheral vision; furthermore, standard photos will need to be reviewed of your patient from multiple angles to make an assessment.
If eyelid drooping leads to vision loss, surgery may be considered medically necessary and covered under Medicare item numbers 45617 and 45620. To ensure they receive coverage, patients must discuss any concerns they may have with their physician and be familiar with how the condition impacts their quality of life so their surgeon can adequately evaluate if coverage will apply in their case.
