Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)

Upper and lower eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) is offered as part of the facial surgical suite at this Chicago Old Town practice. Upper blepharoplasty removes excess upper eyelid skin and herniated fat to restore an open, youthful look and, in cases of functional ptosis with documented visual field obstruction, may be covered by insurance. Lower blepharoplasty addresses under-eye bags, puffiness, and tear trough hollowing caused by herniated orbital fat. Eyelid procedures are commonly combined with facelift or brow lift surgery in a single operative session.

Blepharoplasty at this Old Town Chicago facial plastic surgery practice draws on the subspecialty expertise of a team whose entire clinical focus is the face — an advantage over general plastic surgeons for whom periorbital anatomy is one of many anatomical regions managed. Upper blepharoplasty is indicated for patients with excess upper eyelid skin — a condition that worsens progressively as the brow descends and eyelid skin loses elasticity with age — and in its more severe presentation can drape over the eyelash line to obstruct the superior visual field. Where functional visual field impairment is present and documented through formal perimetry testing, upper blepharoplasty may qualify for partial insurance reimbursement. The surgical technique involves a precisely placed incision within the natural upper eyelid crease, excision of the calculated skin redundancy, conservative removal or repositioning of prolapsed orbital fat from the medial and central fat pockets, and layered closure. Preservation of sufficient skin for comfortable eye closure is a key technical priority. Lower blepharoplasty targets the three orbital fat compartments of the lower eyelid — medial, central, and lateral — which herniate through a progressively lax orbital septum, creating the bulging under-eye bags that are among the most common aesthetic concerns seen at this Chicago practice. Where skin quality is good, the transconjunctival approach — through the inner lining of the lower eyelid, with no external incision or surface scar — allows conservative fat reduction or redraping over the orbital rim to smooth the transition between the lower eyelid and the upper cheek. Where lower eyelid skin laxity, fine crepiness, or festoons are concurrent concerns, a subciliary external incision approach allows skin excision alongside fat management. Blepharoplasty is frequently combined with other facial rejuvenation procedures at this practice — including facelift, neck lift, and brow lift — within a single anaesthetic event to maximise comprehensive rejuvenation while minimising total recovery time.