Upper eyelid surgery involves the removal of excess skin and fat from the upper eyelids. The removal of this excess skin and fat should restore more normal peripheral vision.

There are four main ways to change the position of the brow and eyebrow area. Most commonly, I perform an endoscopic forehead lift. This is the more modern way to lift the brow, and allows me to accomplish a browlift by only placing five small incisions hidden in the hair of the scalp. For men with thinning hair there are other surgical options.

Patients who have an excessive amount of upper eyelid skin and/or have had a drop of the eyebrow to the point that it blocks peripheral vision may be candidates to have the surgery covered by their insurance carrier. To begin this process one must undergo a Visual Field test to confirm that the excess skin is affecting the peripheral vision. A complete exam of the eye are by Dr. Mobley would also be required.

Dr. Mobley wants to make cosmetic surgery available to as many people as possible. For that reason we have hand picked lending services exclusively for Dr. Mobley's patients. When you come in for your consultation we will be more than happy to go over all your financial options with you. We have provided web links to our financial lenders so that you may research them on your own if you so desire. www.mlendfinancial.com

Eyelid skin is the most delicate on the human body, and eyelids tend to swell and bruise after surgery. This is most noticeable for the first week but quickly resolves after that. Within seven to ten days after surgery patients can usually return to daily activities. Patients are encouraged to rest at home for approximately one week following eyelid surgery. After the first week, I will remove any stitches that were placed.

My experience has been that patients are in much less pain than they had thought would come along with their surgery. Eyelid surgery is not know for being painful. Some bruising and swelling is normal but significant pain is not common. Brow lifting procedures involves a slight amount of pain postoperatively. This is usually manifested by a headache that may last 24-72 hours.

Based on your individual recovery, you should be ready to go back to work approximately one week after your eyelid surgery. If you do light (office) work, particularly if you work from home, you could return to these activities four to five days after the operation. If you do more physical work, seven to ten days is more appropriate.

Every type of surgery has risks. It’s my ethical responsibility to educate you on these risks so you can make the best possible decision for yourself while weighing these risks against the benefits of surgery. My training helps me to minimize these risks to the best of my ability, but I cannot eliminate them entirely. Risks of eyelid surgery include change in eyelid position, residual skin wrinkles or fat bags, and persistent dryness of eyes. Let me know if you have chronic dry eyes, are seeing a doctor for this problem, or are taking prescription medication for dry eyes. Common risks of brow lift surgery include loss of hair follicles near incision sites, numbness to forehead, facial nerve weakness, and asymmetry. Again, these types of complications are not common.

The risks above are the most common ones that I think you should be aware of, but they are not a complete list of all possible risks. When I see you in consultation and we begin to formulate your surgical treatment plan, I’ll review with you not only these common risks but also the less likely complications that may occur.

• Most SP, Mobley SR, Larrabee WF Jr. (2005). Anatomy of the eyelids. Facial Plast Surg Clin North Am, 13(4), 487-92, v.