Hello, and welcome to
my
practice! I'm Dr. Stefan Mark
Szczerba (pronounced
Sher-ba).
I am a board
certified
Chicago plastic
surgeon with fellowship
training in cosmetic plastic surgery. This level of
training represents 9 years of training after medical school and is matched by only by a handful of plastic surgeons in the Chicagoland area. I have three offices in the
Chicago
area where we offer
both cosmetic and
plastic
surgery treatments
as well
as aesthetician
services
and non-invasive
procedures such as
Botox,
dermal fillers
and skin
resurfacing
treatments.
You can find everything
you
need for your
personal image
transformation
at one
of my conveniently
located offices in
and
around
Chicago.
I look
forward to
meeting
with you to
discuss your
makeover
desires.
10400 W. Higgins Road
Rosemont, IL 60018
(847) 853-9900
1786 Moon Lake Boulevard, #205
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169
(847) 885-1200
900 N. Kingsbury Street, Suite 130-N
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 286-1642
3226 N. Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 348-1800
BLEPHAROPLASTY (EYELID REJUVENATION)
See before and after photos of this procedure.
INTRODUCTION TO BLEPHAROPLASTY IN CHICAGO
Blepharoplasty, also known as an eyelift or an eyelid lift, is a cosmetic surgery procedure to address sagging upper and/or lower eyelids. It can be performed just on the upper eyelids, the lower eyelids, or both, at the same outpatient procedure.The need for eyelid surgery is generally created by one or more of the following conditions:
- Aging has resulted in sagging in the upper and lower eyelid area
- Bulges around the eye appear when the eyelids become thin with time
- Heaviness of the eyelid area that may be a family characteristic
- Extra layers of muscle of the eyelid area that appear with time
- Eyelid drooping (eyelid ptosis) at any age, including from birth
- Asian patients who have no upper lid crease
- Wrinkling of the lower eyelid that does not respond to, or is worsened by, Botox injections
Although some patients have had an overhanging upper lid their entire lives, most of Dr. Stefan Szczerba’s patients undergo blepharoplasty due to aging of the eye area. As we grow older, the muscles begin to sag and the skin loses some of its thickness and resiliency. This aging occurs in every part of the face, however, in the eye area this creates bags under the eyes and sagging of the upper lid, sometimes to the point where it blocks the vision. The under-eye area may have a bulges of fat or bulges of muscle that appear as someone ages. In other people, aging creates hollows or deep lines under the eyes. Each of these conditions is treated with a different technique; some of those techniques can be non-surgical.
As a result of his extensive training in facial procedures both at Emory University and at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary in Manhattan, Dr. Stefan Mark Szczerba’s eye rejuvenation procedures are based upon proven techniques rather than “the newest thing” on TV and in ads. He takes no shortcuts in his procedures and offers both minor and total makeover approaches to the face. Since eye rejuvenation is a very complex procedure, your plan will be individually tailored to your specific needs and goals. Dr. Szczerba will work with you to customize your approach to make sure to match the goals that you may have to the facial structure and the specific aging changes your face presents.
Asian blepharoplasty is a technique to help patients of Asian to specifically addresses a short or absent upper eyelid crease. This technique has been also called “double eyelid surgery” and will address the lack of an upper eyelid crease without changing the basic shape of the eyes. A blepharoplasty on the lower eyelid area will improve “crow’s feet” or dark circles under the eyes but may not completely eliminate these changes. These conditions may require treatments with laser, chemical peels or other injection methods that Dr. Szczerba can describe during your consultation in one of his Chicago plastic surgery offices.
Blepharoplasty can be performed alone or combined with either a forehead lift or endoscopic brow lift in order to obtain the best result, and is quite often performed with a face lift. Dr. Szczerba may recommend a canthopexy or canthoplasty for patients whose lower lids also droop at the outer corners and appear slightly down in comparison to the inner corner of the eye. A canthopexy will tighten and reposition the ligament of the eyelids with sutures while a canthoplasty will also tighten and reposition the corner of the eye but will also trim away the loose eyelid. The muscles around the eye will be tightened separately around the canthopexy or canthoplasty and will correct the drooping outer lower lid skin and muscle.
Dr. Szczerba will examine your eye area and explain all of your options at your consultation at his Chicago plastic surgery office to ensure that you are happy with the results. He can also utilize computer imaging to show you how the procedure will look once it’s finished and recovery is complete.
GOOD CANDIDATES FOR BLEPHAROPLASTY IN CHICAGO
Healthy men and women who desire an improvement in the appearance of their eyes and who have realistic expectations are generally good candidates for eyelid rejuvenation. Upper eyelid blepharoplasty is rarely covered by health insurance, unless you experience significant vision obstruction due to the drooping upper lids. You may need to visit a eye doctor to confirm the amount of visual obstruction that is being caused by your eyelids. Lower eyelid blepharoplasty is rarely covered by insurance unless the looseness of the eyelid allows the eyelid to avert or separate from the eye, causing a deformity called ectropion.HOW BLEPHAROPLASTY IS PERFORMED IN CHICAGO
Dr. Szczerba performs the blepharoplasty procedure under general anesthesia or under sedation and local anesthesia in an accredited surgical suite in Chicago, Rosemont or Hoffman Estates. For the right patient, procedures around the eye can be performed strictly under local anesthetic injections. The procedure for both eyes takes about 90 minutes, and you will return home the same day.
Once anesthesia is in place, incisions are made in the upper eyelid crease where the scars will be least visible. Because Dr. Szczerba carefully sutures your eyelid skin with a special technique, the scars may heal so well that they may be hard to find and almost imperceptible.
During the procedure, excess bulging fat, muscle and skin is removed. Any additional procedures to lift the eyelid can be performed to correct upper eyelid drooping, called ptosis. The muscle and skin is then carefully tightened with tiny sutures.
The lower eyelid incisions are carefully placed on the lower lid eyelid just beneath the lash line and may extend into one of the crow’s feet wrinkles on the corner of the eye. Another approach uses an incision inside the eye that allows trimming of the fat without visible scars. Dr. Szczerba will then carefully remove excess fat and perform a canthopexy or canthoplasty to tightening and support the eyelid during healing. The excess muscle and skin is then trimmed and the skin is sutured with tiny sutures. If there is hollowness beneath the lower lids, this may be addressed with dermal filler or fat transferring techniques with fat taken from your abdomen. This will have been discussed previously at your consultation in one of Dr. Szczerba’s Chicago plastic surgery offices.
RECOVERING FROM YOUR BLEPHAROPLASTY
You will have bruising and swelling of the eye area for about a week. Dr. Szczerba will prescribe pain medications if appropriate but generally ice packs and Tylenol are sufficient for most people. We suggest that you refrain from driving until the initial swelling has gone down and to avoid wearing contact lenses for a few days.
Sutures generally remain in place for 5-6 days. Non-absorbable sutures are removed at your post-operative office visit. Because of the placement of sutures, the scars are generally not visible, and any scars will fade over time to an imperceptible line. The results of a blepharoplasty are visible in 2-3 weeks with complete healing by 6 weeks. Like other surgical procedures, we advise that you refrain from strenuous activity for 3-4 weeks to avoid any swelling of the eye area during the healing process.
