Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)

Upper and lower blepharoplasty by Dr. Mark Mitchell Jones to remove excess skin, reduce under-eye bags, and rejuvenate the periorbital area. Upper eyelid surgery can also restore peripheral vision where drooping skin has impaired the visual field. Lower blepharoplasty addresses festoons, fat prolapse, and under-eye hollowing. Both procedures may be performed together or combined with a brow lift or facelift for a comprehensive facial rejuvenation.

Blepharoplasty at Atlanta Plastic Surgery Specialists addresses the periorbital changes of aging that affect both appearance and, in some cases, visual function. The eyes are typically one of the first facial features to show signs of aging, with upper eyelid skin excess creating a heavy or hooded appearance, and lower eyelid fat prolapse and festoons contributing to persistent puffiness and dark circles that no amount of rest or topical treatment can fully correct. Upper blepharoplasty involves removing a precisely calculated ellipse of excess upper eyelid skin and, where appropriate, a small amount of herniated orbital fat from the medial fat pad. The incision is placed in the natural upper eyelid crease, where the resulting scar becomes imperceptible once healed. In cases where drooping upper eyelid skin has progressed to the point of obscuring the peripheral visual field, upper blepharoplasty can qualify as a functional procedure, with insurance coverage a possibility when supported by visual field testing. Lower blepharoplasty is more technically complex: the transconjunctival approach (incision placed inside the lower eyelid, leaving no external scar) is used for patients with fat prolapse and good lower eyelid skin tone, while the transcutaneous approach is used when excess skin must be removed as well. Fat repositioning techniques — where the herniated orbital fat is redistributed into the tear trough hollow rather than removed entirely — can simultaneously correct the under-eye bag and the adjacent hollowing for a more youthful and natural result. Combined upper and lower blepharoplasty, often performed together with a brow lift or facelift, delivers a comprehensive periorbital rejuvenation in a single anaesthetic episode. Recovery involves bruising and swelling for one to two weeks, with most patients comfortable in social settings by two weeks post-operatively.