Eyelid surgery

Operating time

1 to 2.5 hours

Anesthesia

Local with sedation, or general

After surgery

Home the same day

Back to desk work

7 to 10 days

Exercise

Exercise at 2 to 3 weeks

Final result

3 months

How Dr. Marsh approaches it

Upper eyelid surgery removes the skin that hoods the lid; lower eyelid surgery repositions or removes the fat that causes bags, often through an incision inside the lid that leaves no visible scar. The goal is to look rested, not different. Dr. Marsh is conservative with skin removal around the lower lid, where overcorrection is the most common and least fixable mistake.

Usually a good candidate

• Hooded upper lids that make eye makeup disappear
• Puffy lower lids and hollows
• Lids that feel heavy by evening
• Vision obstruction from upper lid skin

What we will discuss honestly

• Dry eye history needs assessment first
• Bruising is visible for 10 to 14 days
• Lower lid surgery carries a small risk of lid position change
• Brow position is assessed; sometimes a brow lift is the real answer
• Every operation carries risks of bleeding, infection, scarring, anesthesia complications, and the need for revision. They are specific to you and are reviewed in writing before you consent.

How long it lasts

10 years or more. Ageing continues; the operation resets the clock rather than stopping it. Weight stability, sun protection, and not smoking are the three things that most protect a result.

The path

1. Consultation. Ninety minutes with Dr. Marsh. Measurements, photographs, simulation where relevant, and a written plan with the complete fee. $250, credited toward surgery.
2. Pre-operative visit. Two weeks before: labs, medical clearance where needed, consent, prescriptions, and the plan reviewed once more.
3. Surgery. In an accredited surgery center with a board-certified anesthesiologist. Home the same day.
4. Follow-up. Day one or two, one week, two weeks, six weeks, three months, six months, and a year. All included.