Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)

Eyelid surgery (Lidstraffung / Lidkorrektur) at Dr. Rittinger's Nuremberg practice corrects drooping upper eyelids, puffy lower lids or under-eye bags by removing excess skin, muscle and fat. Upper blepharoplasty can also restore a visual field impaired by overhanging eyelid skin — making it potentially eligible for health insurance contribution. Surgery is performed at St. Theresien-Krankenhaus and can be carried out under local or general anaesthesia.

Blepharoplasty (Lidstraffung or Lidkorrektur) corrects changes in the upper or lower eyelids caused by ageing, genetics or gravity. In the upper eyelids the main issue is excess skin — sometimes combined with a small fat pad herniation — that causes a heavy, tired appearance and, when severe, can overhang the pupil and reduce the visual field. In the lower eyelids the concern is typically fatty pseudoherniation producing persistent under-eye bags, optionally combined with loose skin. Upper eyelid surgery removes the redundant skin and, where present, addresses the fat compartment through an incision placed precisely in the natural eyelid crease so the scar is virtually invisible when the eye is open. Lower blepharoplasty can be performed through a transconjunctival (inside the eyelid) incision — leaving no external scar — when only the fat is being addressed, or through a subciliary incision just below the lash line when skin excision is also required. At Plastische Chirurgie Nürnberg, Dr. med. Clemens Rittinger assesses whether the drooping is caused by excess eyelid skin (dermatochalasis) alone or also by brow descent (which may require a separate brow lift), and plans the procedure accordingly. Operations are performed at St. Theresien-Krankenhaus under local anaesthesia with sedation or under general anaesthesia depending on the extent and patient preference. Where documented field-of-vision impairment is present, statutory health insurance may fund the functional component of upper blepharoplasty; the practice works with both statutory (GKV) and private insurers. Recovery involves mild bruising and swelling for one to two weeks; most patients return to normal activities and look socially presentable within ten days.