I am a 68 year old woman and have been recommended by my surgeon to get a lower eyelid blepharoplasty. Are there any risks with this procedure of which I should be aware? I am a bit nervous about having incisions so close to my eyes.

Lower eyelid blepharoplasty is a wonderful procedure for rejuvenating the lower eyelid complex. Specifically, the procedure can remove fullness (“bags”) underneath the eye, fill in hollows/creases between the eye and cheek, and can remove excess/wrinkled skin. Prior to endeavoring upon the procedure, I would obtain a full medical history to make certain you are healthy for this procedure. As well, I would request an EKG as well as some blood tests to further evaluate your overall health. If your health precludes you from undergoing surgery, then I would recommend my lower lid non-surgical procedure, which includes filler augmentation of the lower lids with or without laser skin resurfacing. If you are healthy to undergo the lower eyelid blepharoplasty surgery, rest assured that the incisions are made in specific areas that are very safe and heal very well. Potential risks of the surgery include, but not limited to, bleeding, infection, rounding of the lower eyelid contour, dry eye, and corneal abrasion.