What is blepharoplasty?
Dr. Kun Kim at Kim Facial Plastic Surgery in Atlanta, Georgia refers to blepharoplasty as “double eyelid surgery” and has been successfully performing this surgery on his patients for years. The goal of this surgery is to improve the aged appearance that can be caused by droopy eyelids and puffiness under the eye.

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What does the procedure entail?
Dr. Kim will perform blepharoplasty on the upper or lower eyelids, depending on your needs and desires. He may also perform the surgery on both of your lids. Dr. Kim removes excess fat, muscle, and skin, which helps to reveal a younger-looking, more refreshed-looking you.

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Can this surgery be performed with other surgeries?
Yes. In fact, Dr. Kim often performs eyelid surgery along with a browlift, facelift, and even skin resurfacing. At your initial consultation, all options will be discussed, and you and Dr. Kim will plan your course of treatment together following a thorough evaluation.

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What does the actual surgery involve?
When Dr. Kim performs upper eyelid surgery, he makes an incision in the natural fold of the upper eyelid and removes the excess fat, muscle and skin. He then performs fine suturing to close the incision and minimize any visible scarring.

When he performs lower eyelid surgery, he makes an incision along the lash line and smile creases of your lower eyelid; he then removes the fat, muscle and skin and sutures the incision closed.

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If my eyes are just puffy, is this surgery recommended for me?
If lower eyelid puffiness is your problem then Transconjunctivial Blepharoplasty is performed by Dr. Kim. He will make an incision and remove the excess fat in the lower eyelid. He uses self-dissolving sutures in this procedure and no visible scar is left.

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What can I expect after surgery?
Dr. Kim and staff will provide you with detailed instructions on what to do and what not to do following your blepharoplasty. You need not cover your eyes following surgery, but you may need an anti-drying ointment. Pain medication may be prescribed by Dr. Kim; cold compresses can help to reduce the bruising and swelling you may experience post-operatively. You will be given instructions on eye-cleaning care and the use of eye drops, if necessary. If you have permanent sutures in place, they will be removed in a few days following surgery.

If you live in the Atlanta, Georgia area and are interested in learning about blepharoplasty, please contact Dr. Kim at Kim Facial Plastic Surgery today to schedule your initial appointment.

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Options for Enlargement of Asian Eyes
Double eyelid surgery combined with medial epicanthoplasty will make your eyes bigger. When double eyelid surgery is properly done, eyes look bigger when opened. With medial epicanthoplasty (treating the Mongolian fold), eyes actually get wider.

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Will I Be Able to Close my Eyes After Eyelid Surgery?

This is a common fear. Not being able to close your eyes after an eye lid surgery is a complication that arise from an overly aggressive skin removal. In a typical upper eye lid surgery for anti aging, the amount of skin removal is estimated by the surgeon. After the incision lines are drawn, the amount of skin removal need to be rechecked in order to ensure the skin being removed is not too much.

If you choose an experienced surgeon, this complication should be almost a non-issue.

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When Can I Use my Contacts After Eyelid Surgery?
I allow use of contact lenses after 48 hours if only the upper eye lid surgery was done. If lower eye lid surgery was performed after 7 days of healing, the contact lenses may be worn. This is true wheter the lower lid surgery was done with subciliary (skin incision) or the subconjunctival (inside approach, no skin incision) approach.

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These time frame assumes there are no unusual complications from the eye lid surgery at the time of this recovery period. Conjunctival swelling or chemosis, and conjuctivitis like conditions, which may be present on occasion, may delay the safe period for contact lense usage.

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Can I Change my Eye Shape?
Dr. Kim routinely performs more than 1000 Asian eye lid surgeries per year. The goal of the procedure is to create the double eyelid crease and make eyes rounder and more open. About 25% of these patients also require what is called a medial canthoplasty, where the corder of the eye next to the nose is opened up surgically to give the eyes a more open look. So the answer to your question is “Yes”, although obviously there are limitations to any surgical/medical procedures.