Bags under our eyes add years to our countenance and ruin the appearance of our face. When you have excessive bags under your eyes, you look eternally tired and sleep-deprived and as a result, your skin no longer looks healthy and young.
An eyelid surgery is the best way to prevent eye bags from ruining the appearance of your face. Dr. James Ridgway, MD, FACS is a highly experienced surgeon with many years of experience in the field of plastic surgery. His artistry, coupled with his in-depth knowledge and his empathetic and affable nature make him the perfect choice of surgeon for your surgery.
If you’d like to schedule a consultation with Dr. Ridgway, feel free to contact our Ridgway Face & Aesthetic Center team either via call or email. We look forward to working with you to help you achieve the beautiful appearance you desire.
As we age, the elasticity of the skin reduces and our skin begins to droop, resulting in the pooling of skin folds above and below the eyes.
Droopy eyelids are a nightmare for almost everyone. Not only do they make us look older than we are, they also impair our ability to see. Eye bags and droopy eyelids create many medical and cosmetic problems for people, including:
Medical
Cosmetic
Experts recommend an eyelid surgery to rectify droopy lips and bags under the eyes. In medical parlance, we call this procedure a Blepharoplasty.
An upper and a lower eye bag surgery involve surgically removing the old and sagging muscles under the eyes and tightening the skin to give it a firm and fresh look.
A typical eyelid surgery costs approximately $3022. Health insurance can be claimed if the surgery is for medical reasons. However, insurance companies do not cover cosmetic plastic surgeries. It’s best to speak to your insurance provider for more information.
Consultation
If you’re tired of looking constantly tired due to your droopy lips and baggy eyes, then it’s time to visit us at our practice in Bellevue. Dr. James Ridgway, the lead surgeon of the Ridgway Face & Aesthetic Center team has helped hundreds of patients regain their beautiful eyes through the baggy eye surgery.
When you come in for a consultation, be sure to discuss your expectations with the doctor. He will create a treatment plan to incorporate your wishes. Remember that the eyelid surgery will only help remove the bags around your eye. It will not change the appearance of your face. It’s best to speak to the doctor before scheduling the surgery.
Disclose any medical conditions that you may have and information about any medication that you’re currently on. This will help the doctor personalize his care for you.
Pre-surgery preparation
The Blepharoplasty procedure is an in-patient procedure and you will need to get admitted to the hospital/clinic for the same. Have someone drive you to the treatment center and arrange for a pick-up post-surgery.
The doctor will provide a comprehensive list of do’s and don’ts for preparation for the surgery. Be sure to follow them to the tee. Remember not to take any medication before the surgery without Dr. Ridgway’s assent.
The surgery
The upper and lower eye bag surgery together takes a minimum of two hours to perform. The doctor will start by administering the anesthesia. Local anesthesia is usually preferred, along with an oral sedative. However, if the doctor sees fit, he may use general anesthesia instead. All decisions regarding the same will be taken during the consultation.
The upper eyelid surgery
The first step in our Seattle Blepharoplasty is the upper eye bag surgery. Dr. Ridgway believes in providing a very natural look to your eyes post-surgery. To maintain the integrity of your eyes, he will make an incision along the natural lines of your upper eyelid. Once this is done, he will separate the skin from the underlying tissues and muscles and cut out the old, baggy muscles underneath.
Next, he will stitch up the upper eyelids using skin-friendly stitches. These stitches stay on for up to a week’s time, before being removed. Sometimes dissolvable surgical stitches are used, which dissolve into the skin after a few days post-surgery.
The lower eyelid surgery
There are two ways in which lower eye bag surgery can be performed. The first involves making the incision inside the lower eye lid and the second technique involves cutting into the eyelash margin.
Once the incision is made, the doctor will remove the excessive fat, tissues and sagging muscles and stitch up the lower eyelid / eyelash margin. Although the incision won’t be visible post-recovery, the doctor may recommend laser resurfacing to help reduce the appearance of the scar on your face.
Post-surgical recovery
As with all surgical procedures, the upper and lower eyelid surgeries may result in puffiness and tenderness around the eyes. Complications are very rare, but there may be some post-surgical bleeding, which will stop a few hours after the surgery. Dryness in the eyes, swelling of the eyes and discoloration around the eyelids may occur. But these too will disappear a few days post-surgery.
The results of the upper eyelid surgery last for up to 5-6 years and the lower eyelid surgery lasts almost a lifetime. The skin around your eyes will of course age over time, but you won’t require a repeat surgery after the first one.
Based on how well you respond to the surgery, the doctor will draft a recovery plan and discharge you. It is important for patients to follow Dr. Ridgway’s advice during recovery, to prevent the onset of infection. He may schedule a repeat visit for check-up. Be sure to visit our clinic for the same.
If you’d like any more information regarding our eyelid and eye bag removal surgeries, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We are here for you.
If you are ready to refresh and rejuvenate your look today, we encourage you to schedule a consultation with one of the best plastic surgeons Seattle has to offer: Dr. James M. Ridgway. During your private consultation Dr. Ridgway will carefully evaluate your face and the subtle imperfections that concern you most before providing you with a personalized blend of Bellevue cosmetic surgery procedures that will help you achieve your ideal facial appearance.
Book now
