Is an Eyelid Lift Ever Medically Necessary?

Is an Eyelid Lift Ever Medically Necessary?

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Many people undergo eyelid surgery to improve their appearance and eliminate aging signs. However, did you know that some people need eyelid lift surgery due to medical reasons?

For instance, if you have drooping eyelids that hang over your eyes and obscure your vision, you may have trouble performing normal activities like driving, reading, walking, etc.

What Can Be Improved With Eyelid Surgery Besides Aesthetics?

Impaired Vision

Sometimes, the condition can be so severe that your field of vision is significantly restricted to the point you struggle to see through the corners of your eyes. This can be dangerous because glasses and contact lenses cannot help in this situation.

In such instances, upper eyelid lift surgery is deemed medically necessary to help restore your sight while giving you a more pleasant look.

Your Upper Eyelid Surgery Procedure

The procedure is performed under general anesthesia on an outpatient basis. Local anesthesia may be appropriate in some circumstances; however, this is up to your plastic surgeon. Your safety is always considered first, and this often means general anesthesia will be chosen.

As the procedure’s main goal is to remove or reposition excess skin and fat of the upper eyelid, upper blepharoplasty (upper eyelid surgery) is performed. Your surgeon will make incisions in the creases of the upper eyelid skin to remove redundant skin and fat while repositioning muscles.

Some insurance companies will pay for upper blepharoplasty upon proof that the sagging eyelid skin interferes with your daily activities. Check with your insurance provider for more information.

When a highly-skilled cosmetic surgeon performs the procedure, patients can treat peripheral and frontal vision loss caused by sagging eyelid skin leading to better vision. Additionally, the final results will create a more youthful and rejuvenated facial appearance.

Lower eyelid surgery may be performed to tighten the skin and musculature in the lower lids and remove bulges of fat that cause puffiness; however, this does not interfere with vision and is not deemed medically necessary. Therefore, lower blepharoplasty is elective and not covered by insurance.

Recovering After Eyelift Surgery: What to Expect?

After the surgery, you can expect minimal swelling, bruising, and discomfort for about a week. You will be asked to use cold compresses or ice packs for the first few days after surgery to control swelling.

While blurred vision is temporarily experienced in the days following surgery, you can expect improved vision over the next week to 10 days. Your surgeon will provide you with detailed eye and incision care guidelines to ensure a speedy and smooth recovery.

Interested in Learning More About Blepharoplasty in Fayetteville, Newnan, McDonough, and LaGrange?

If your upper eyelids are drooping to the point of obscuring vision, you may want to consider having an upper eyelid lift as a medical necessity. We encourage you to contact Advanced Aesthetics at (404) 737-5803 or fill out our online form to schedule your consultation with our knowledgeable surgeons.

We do not schedule any insurance upper blepharoplasties until after you have seen and failed a visual field test with your eye doctor.

You can also view our face before and after photo gallery to see how facial surgery has helped our previous patients.