Recovery Time: Lower Blepharoplasty VS Fillers
Concerns about the recovery time after surgery for under eye bags often motivate people to pursue the use of fillers as a more convenient option. In this video, I’ll help you understand how I help my patients make the choice between injectable fillers, surgery, or a combination of the two with minimal downtime.
Helping people with the appearance of under eye bags, hollows, and lack of cheek volume has been a significant area of focus in my practice throughout my career. From the beginning, I’ve always customized my approach to help my patients achieve the best aesthetic result, with minimal risk, and downtime.
A common concern for patients who come to us is the appearance of under eye hollows, which is frequently accompanied by the presence of under eye bags. Often people don’t realize that the reason they perceive hollowness under their eyes is because they have adjacent puffiness, which makes the hollowness appear so deep. It’s actually the contrast of the puffiness which is like a hill, and hollow below it creating a relatively deep valley.
Key Areas to Examine for Under-Eye Issues
When I examine a patient, I look at certain aspects of their appearance:
- The degree of prominence of the under eye bags – it’s important to recognize that the under eye bags are caused by fat pockets which are normally around the eyes. These fat pockets under the eyes push forward resulting in what is called herniated fat.
- Tear trough and infraorbital rim – this represents the bone structure, which often also lacks volume
3. Cheekbone projection – hollowness under the eyes is accompanied by a lack of projection from the cheekbones. The relationship of the cheekbones to the eyes is often missed during examination, resulting in a less than ideal appearance after treatment.
Lower Eyelid Surgery vs Fillers
Once I complete the evaluation, I discuss treatment options. Looking at the eyes alone, the question which needs to be answered first is whether to approach the problem with surgery, non-surgically or with a combination strategy. The decision is based on the anatomy and the degree of prominence of the fat pockets.
When Fillers are Ideal
In a situation where the fat pockets are not very prominent and there is a space in the area called the tear trough for the placement of filler, a non-surgical approach can result in significant improvement. I routinely perform this type of procedure with instruments such as blunt cannulas which results typically with no bruising.
Recovery After Fillers
Most patients can return to regular activities immediately. When performed correctly, tear trough fillers result in little to no bruising or swelling. Techniques like using blunt cannulas minimize trauma to the tissues. The results are visible almost immediately, with full effects apparent once any minor swelling subsides, typically within a few days.
When Lower Eyelid Surgery is Needed
In situations where a nonsurgical approach is not going to be optimal, surgery is appropriate. Often, the surgical option is concerning for patients because they’re afraid of anesthesia, scars, bruising and swelling as well as prolonged healing time. As I stated earlier, from the beginning of my career, I’ve focused on helping my patients avoid these issues commonly seen with traditional plastic surgery.
I perform surgery in my private operating facilities which are within my offices which helps people feel more comfortable with an environment that is more familiar than a hospital, or surgery center. I perform surgery under local anesthesia with LITE sedation, in contrast to general anesthesia which is preferred by many of my colleagues.
Blepharoplasty done under local anesthesia shortens surgical recovery time, with patients going home the same day as surgery; while surgery done with general anesthesia often requires a week just to recover from effects of the anesthesia.
I usually perform surgery for under eye bags through a transconjunctival approach, which means there are no scars on the eyelid skin because fat is sculpted and removed from behind the lower eyelid skin, and muscle. These techniques allow my patients to go back to work in one week with little to no bruising which means that downtime is minimal.
Recovery After Lower Blepharoplasty
My patients typically resume work and daily activities within a week. Using advanced techniques, such as the transconjunctival approach (no external scars), bruising and swelling are minimal compared to more commonly practiced lower eyelid surgery involving a skin incision, and oftentimes skin removal. Initial improvements are noticeable within a week, but full healing and results may take several weeks to months.
Surgery performed in private facilities under local anesthesia with LITE sedation can make the experience more comfortable, with less stress compared to traditional hospital settings, as well as the stress put on the body, and the longer recovery time of general anesthesia.
Common Issues with Fillers Elsewhere
Although my approach to filler placement under the eyes is generally without bruising, many people have come to our practice recounting their experience of fillers done elsewhere with multiple injections, which resulted in bruising and swelling that lasted for weeks. This is interesting since I routinely perform surgery where there is minimal to no bruising.
Verdict
Injectable fillers, and eye bag surgery can both be performed with minimal bruising and downtime when done correctly. While fillers don’t involve surgery, they may be more suited for milder cases of puffy eye bags to camouflage them. For more prominent cases of eye bags, with longer lasting results, lower eyelid surgery done without an incision on the skin is the safest, longest lasting approach, with results that last many years, and sometimes even permanently. I hope you found this information helpful.
Under Eye Bag Surgery Treatment Manhattan, NYC and Long Island, New York
Dr. Amiya Prasad is a Board-certified cosmetic surgeon, and Fellowship-trained oculoplastic surgeon. He’s been practicing in New York City and Long Island for over 30 years. Dr. Amiya Prasad is an eyelid specialist who performs upper and lower eyelid surgeries every day in his practice as well as non-surgical eyelid procedures like fillers and platelet-rich plasma or PRP.
If you’re interested in recommendations for your individual situation, you may call any of our offices at (212) 265-8877 in Manhattan, New York City; (516) 742-4636 in Garden City, Long Island; or (703) 356-1336 in Vienna, Virginia, or fill up the form below to schedule an appointment.
