Upper Eyelid Surgery St. Louis - Blepharoplasty Missouri

As we age, the brow descends down and extra skin develops over the upper eyelid. The muscle which keeps the eyelid up may weaken, making us appear “sleepy.” In addition, the deep structures of the upper eyelid weaken, causing the fat which is present below to “bulge.” Furthermore, the lacrimal gland in the upper eyelid which helps keep our eyes moist can also bulge and need to be tightened.

Dr. Cabbabe prefers to avoid removing fat from the upper eyelid in most cases. He sees any patients who have had fat removed from their eyelids necessarily and have a cadaveric appearance” or “hollowed out” look. Dr. Cabbabe believes in fat preservation in the face and that the issue is one of repositioning the fat rather than removing it and sometimes adding fat.

Dr. Cabbabe incorporates his experience with reconstructive and cosmetic surgery of the face to give patients the best results possible to meet their desires. He is also an expert in minimally invasive cosmetic surgery of the face and has published on these topics. His patients have a natural, refreshed look after surgery. During your consultation, Dr. Cabbabe will carefully examine your entire face including the brow, upper and lower eyelids, face and neck. He will make recommendations in order to help you achieve your desired result while maintaining facial harmony. Dr. Cabbabe believes that the entire face should be in harmony and may recommend other procedures such as face lift, midface lift, brow lift, lower blepharoplasty or neck lift to be done at the same time.

We believe that patients, their desires, and anatomy are all unique. Dr. Cabbabe believes that the key to a successful surgery is proper planning and discussion with the patient about their goals. Therefore, Dr. Cabbabe evaluates each patient and creates a customized surgical plan for all of his patients to meet their expectations. To schedule a consultation, call us at 314-842-5885 or complete the contact us form. Some patients also have eyelid ptosis in addition to the extra skin above the eyelid. Patients with eyelid ptosis have an upper eyelid which droops down near the pupil instead of staying well above the pupil. If this is noted, then Dr. Cabbabe will recommend a procedure to tighten the muscle in the upper eyelid at the time of surgery.

Occasionally, insurance companies will pay for this surgery. Generally, a trip to an optometrist is need to document impaired visual fields as a result of the extra skin or droopiness. During the consultation, Dr. Cabbabe will advise you if this is an option for you.

Preparing for Surgery

Dr. Cabbabe will ask that you refrain from taking any aspirin, plavix, Coumadin or any other type of blood thinner. He will also ensure that your blood pressure has been properly controlled if you have high blood pressure. On the morning of surgery, Dr. Cabbabe will precisely mark the planned incision line in order to keep the scar concealed in the upper eyelid crease. This operation can be done under general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation.

Recovery

Most patients are able to go home after surgery. If this procedure is done by itself, most patients are able to go home the same day. Pain medication and antibiotics will be prescribed. Bruising and swelling may be present around the eyes for a short period of time. Dr. Cabbabe will ask that you keep ice on the surgical site to decrease this. He will also ask you to keep your head elevated to decrease swelling. Sutures will be removed in 5 – 7 days.