Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)

Upper and lower blepharoplasty performed by Dr. Parit A. Patel, MD, MBA, FACS — named Newsweek America's Best Plastic Surgeon 2025 for eyelid surgery — at the Plastic Surgery Clinic of Chicago on Michigan Avenue. Upper blepharoplasty removes hooding skin that may impair vision; lower blepharoplasty addresses under-eye bags, fat prolapse, and festoons. Both procedures can be combined and are frequently paired with facelift or brow lift.

Blepharoplasty at the Plastic Surgery Clinic of Chicago benefits from Dr. Parit A. Patel's Newsweek 2025 recognition as one of America's Best Plastic Surgeons specifically in the eyelid surgery category — reflecting the depth of his periorbital surgical expertise. The eyes are among the first features of the face to show visible aging, and the changes — upper eyelid skin excess, orbital fat herniation into the lower lids, festoon formation, and the combined hollowing of the tear trough — are among those most consistently noticed by the patient and their social contacts. Upper blepharoplasty addresses excess skin of the upper eyelid that creates a heavy or hooded appearance, often accompanied by lateral skin overhang that partially occludes the peripheral visual field. The procedure removes a carefully measured ellipse of redundant skin and, where appropriate, a small amount of herniated medial fat pad tissue; the incision is placed within the natural upper eyelid crease, making the resulting scar virtually imperceptible once healed. In cases where the drooping skin objectively reduces peripheral visual field — confirmed by formal visual field testing — upper blepharoplasty qualifies as a functional procedure with potential insurance coverage. Lower blepharoplasty is technically more varied and requires precise surgical judgment. The transconjunctival approach places the incision entirely inside the lower eyelid conjunctiva, leaving no external scar, and is preferred when the primary concern is fat prolapse with good overlying skin tone. Fat repositioning techniques — transferring herniated orbital fat downward into the tear trough rather than simply removing it — simultaneously correct the under-eye bag and the adjacent hollowing that creates a dark, aged appearance. The transcutaneous lower blepharoplasty, with an incision just below the lower lash line, is used when skin excess must also be addressed. Combined upper and lower blepharoplasty delivers a comprehensive periorbital rejuvenation and is frequently scheduled together with a facelift or brow lift to address multiple facial zones in a single anaesthetic episode. Recovery from blepharoplasty is generally rapid, with most bruising and swelling resolving within one to two weeks.