Tulsa Surgical Arts

7322 E 91st St, Tulsa, OK 74133 · 918-392-7900 · 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

In any emergency, call 911 first.

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department now — do not drive yourself, do not wait:

Chest pain or pressure, shortness of breath, or trouble breathing.
Fainting, sudden confusion, or weakness on one side of the body.
Sudden eye pain, bulging, or any change in your vision.
You have chest pain or trouble breathing.
One leg swells, or one calf hurts more than the other.
Blood soaks a bandage and does not slow down with gentle pressure.

Otherwise call us at 918-392-7900, day or night, if:

You have a fever of 101.5°F (38.6°C) or higher.
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.

Reviewed and approved by Austin Kluis, MD — 2026-08-23.