7322 E 91st St, Tulsa, OK 74133 · 918-392-0880 · tulsasurgicalarts.com
Oklahoma Surgical Arts · 12400 Saint Andrew’s Dr, Oklahoma City, OK 73120 · 405-751-0042
Blepharoplasty (Eyelid Lift)
Plain-language patient guide
What this surgery is
Blepharoplasty removes extra skin and bulging fat from the eyelids. On the upper lids, it treats hooded skin that can make you look tired. On the lower lids, it treats puffy bags and loose skin.
It does not remove crow's feet or lift the brow. Those need other steps.
What happens during it
You get numbing medicine, often with light sleep medicine. Some people are fully asleep.
For upper lids, the cut hides in the natural crease of the lid.
For lower lids, the cut hides just under the lash line or inside the lid.
Extra skin is trimmed. Bulging fat is removed or moved to smooth the area.
The cuts are closed with very fine stitches.
Surgery usually takes about an hour or two. You go home the same day.
Main risks
Every surgery has risks. Here are the main ones for this surgery, in plain words. We will go over all of them with you in person.
Dry, gritty, or watery eyes for a few weeks.
Trouble fully closing the lids for a short time.
A pulled-down lower lid. This is rare and can need a fix.
Bleeding behind the eye that harms sight. This is very rare. It is an emergency.
Bleeding. Some bleeding can need another trip to the operating room.
Infection. Signs are spreading redness, warmth, pus, or fever.
Scars. Every cut leaves a scar. Most fade over a year. Some stay raised or wide.
Numb skin near the cuts. Feeling usually returns over months. Small areas can stay numb.
Blood clots in the legs. A clot can travel to the lungs. That is an emergency.
Problems from anesthesia (the medicine that makes you sleep). These are rare in healthy people.
Uneven results. The two sides of the body are never a perfect match.
The need for another surgery to fix a problem or improve the result.
What recovery is like
First few days
Use cold packs. Swelling and bruising peak, then start to fade. Rest your eyes from screens.
One week
Stitches come out around day five to seven. Most bruising can be covered.
Two weeks
Most people look rested, not operated on. Contact lenses are usually fine again.
Six weeks
Full exercise. Scars are pink but hide in the crease.
Months
Scars fade to faint lines that are hard to find.
When to call us right away
Call us at 918-392-0880, day or night, if:
Sudden eye pain, bulging, or any change in your vision. This is an emergency.
You have chest pain or trouble breathing. Call 911 first, then call us.
One leg swells, or one calf hurts more than the other.
You have a fever over 101 degrees.
Blood soaks a bandage and does not slow down with gentle pressure.
Redness spreads out from a cut, or you see pus.
Your pain gets much worse instead of better.
A wound pulls open, or stitches come apart.
Approved for patient use — released under the clinical review of the Tulsa Surgical Arts surgical team, August 2026.