Face

Various surgical procedures can improve or restore the form of the face, lips, eyelids and neck.

The surgical specialty of fat transfer is used to increase the fullness and improve the appearance of the aging face.

How does Fat Transfer Work?

During the procedure, the surgeon will perform liposuction in specified areas to achieve a desired contour. The fat removed is then filtered and reinjected into specified areas to augment or improve contours of the cheeks, lips, and other areas of the face. 

What Can I Expect During and After the Procedure?

• Your physician will provide you with detailed information about your procedure, but in general:
• You will be sedated or under general anesthesia for the procedure, which usually takes about two hours, depending on the amount of fat needed to be removed and transferred.
• The surgery is outpatient, and recovery may take a few weeks.

A variety of surgical and non-surgical procedures can be used to restore lip form or enhance the appearance of the lips.

How Does Lip Surgery Work?

Depending on the goals of lip correction, some common procedures include: 

• Lip reconstruction: sometimes trauma or cancer can disrupt the natural appearance of the lips.  Multiple surgical procedures are available to your lips to a near-normal appearance.  These procedures are generally performed in an operating room, under anesthesia.   
• Aesthetic lip enhancement: sometimes non-surgical treatments are not suitable and surgical lip enhancement offers multiple techniques to create permanent results with minimal scarring.

What Can I Expect During and After the Procedure?

Your physician will provide you with detailed information about your procedure, but in general:

• You will either be given general anesthesia or a sedative through an intravenous line and local anesthesia to numb your skin.
• The procedure may last 1 to 2 hours.
• If you've had general anesthesia, you'll awake in a recovery room and remain there anywhere from a few hours to overnight, depending on the extent of the surgery.
• Post-surgery bruising and swelling lasting two to three weeks is typical.  You may also experience tightness, numbness and swelling for several weeks.
• Most people can return to their normal activities within a few days.
• It may take several months for swelling to fully subside and up to six months for incision lines to heal and fade.

Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)

This procedure removes excess fat and tissue from the eyelids to correct conditions of aging such as sagging eyebrows, droopy eyelids and bags under the eyes.

How Does Eyelid Surgery Work?

Eyelid surgery can involve the upper eyelids, lower eyelids, or both eyelids. If you have surgery on your upper and lower eyelids, the surgeon generally works on your upper lids first.

Upper eyelid surgery involves the placement of incisions in the natural crease of the upper lid, making them well hidden when the eyes are open. The excess skin and protruding fat are removed and the incision is closed.

On the lower lid, the surgeon makes a cut just below the lashes in your eye's natural crease or inside the lower lid. The lower eyelids may also be tightened in addition to removing skin or fat. Once the surgeon removes or redistributes excess fat, muscle and sagging skin, the cut is closed.

What Can I Expect During and After the Procedure?

Your physician will provide you with detailed information about your procedure, but in general:

• Your surgeon will inject numbing medication into your eyelids and administer intravenous medication to help you relax. In some cases, general anesthesia will be used, which means you will be asleep during surgery.
• The procedure usually takes between one and two hours and is usually done on an outpatient basis.
• After surgery you may temporarily experience blurred vision, watering eyes, light sensitivity, puffy numb eyelids and some pain.
• After you go home, be sure to gently clean your eyelids, use prescribed eye drops or ointments and apply cool compresses to reduce swelling.
• If you use contact lenses, don't put them in for about two weeks after surgery.
• Wear darkly tinted sunglasses to protect the skin of your eyelids from sun and wind.
• Sleep with your head raised higher than your chest for a few days.