Restoring Youth in your eyes

Sometimes being pretty begins in the most unlikely places – the eyelids. Those thin folds of skin – said to be the thinnest in the human body -- cover and protect the eyes. On the face, any enhancement on the eyelids can have a profound effect on appearance, youthful appearance.

In fact God created eyelids to go beyond its function of protection. Eyelids come with eyelashes to heighten the protection of the eyes from dust, debris and other irritants. Eyelids also give the eye the power to behold because of blinking. With blinking, moisture is spread across the surface of the eye and ease discomfort. A person can choose to blink with only one eye and this is called winking. When a person winks at you – there is more to it than meets the eye. Thanks to a God-designed eyelid.

Gravity has ways of betraying the shape of the eyelids. With aging, the eyelids droop, sag and wrinkle and change your outlook of life and in life all together. Defying gravity, surgery can be done to correct and improve the appearance of the eyelids. This procedure is called blepharoplasty. Oculoplastic surgeon Ronald Rellosa Medalle shares with us more about correcting baggy eyelids and restoring youth in the eyes. Excerpts:

Ruth: How would you describe oculoplastic surgery?

Ronnie: This is surgery that deals with cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the eyelids, tear ducts and bony cavity around the eyes . This lesser known but important subspecialty of ophthalmology deals with tissues supporting, surrounding and enhancing the normal functions of the eyes. Put simply it is correcting baggy lids, droopy lids, bulging eyes and teariness. This tearing may be caused either by blocked tear ducts that is common in menopaused women or by lid malposition which irritates the eyes.

Ruth: Why would you recommend cosmetic eye surgery?

Ronnie: Choosing to undergo cosmetic lid surgery is always a personal decision and is never forced. However, in this day and age, blepharoplasty is increasingly acceptable as a procedure one may need to cope with advancing age. I tell my patients that we are all victims of gravity and aging meaning gravity pulls down our tissues and causes sagging and so we develop baggy lids. It is by removing excess lid skin and fat pads that a youthful look may be restored to our eyes.

On the other hand, a condition that puts me in a position to advise blepharoplasty as a treatment is when a person experiences chronic eye irritation caused by the rubbing of the upper and lower outer lid margins due to excess skin in some patients.“

Ruth: How do I know what kind of eyelid shape I’m supposed to have? In other words, how do you make patients have realistic expectations of how they want to look ?

Ronnie: Because cosmetic surgery or eyelid surgery is an individual decision, a person wants to perceive himself or herself on how he or she wants to look. Once you don’t want what you see in the mirror, you look for ways to find out what changes can be done and if those changes are doable.

Unfortunately, movies create magical ideas about cosmetic surgery. Patients come here with expectations they can have a face off experience and look like actors, actresses or models. Well, that is not the way it happens. In the real world, I can just work around our God-given features and so I always request patients to bring pictures taken during their younger days and point out what can be done.

Ruth: Is pain an issue? What is the procedure going to be like?

Ronnie: Not really. Majority of patients are amendable to having the lid procedure done with local anesthesia. This is achieved by small injections placed around the lids which can be tolerated well. An oral sedative may be taken an hour before.”            I then make an incision along the natural skin fold of the lid. Then excess skin, muscle and fat are removed. A little discomfort may be experienced but as a rule no pain is expected. The incision is closed with tiny stitches that leave barely visible scar. It takes approximately 30 minutes to finish one lid.  There is no need for eye patching or hospital admission. The patient may have to take some time off because some bruising will be expected for a week or so. Stitches will be removed in a week's time at the office.  With the eyes open no scar will be apparent.

Ruth: It’s like I come to your clinic with my God-made eyelids and then come out of your clinic after 30 minutes to one hour with enhanced, youthful eyelids. Are there any complications?

Ronnie: Before surgery, patients must be medically cleared of any systemic ailments like hypertension and diabetes to avoid complications from bleeding and poor healing. Patients are also asked to discontinue taking blood thinners like aspirin, plavix, nsaids and vitamin E for two weeks before the surgery because these medications may increase bleeding tendencies.

Ruth: Are the results of cosmetic surgery permanent?

Ronnie: I would say that the surgical effect should shave off approximately ten or so years in appearance but since the effects of gravity will continue, a retouch may be considered after some years.