Eyelid lift is a very common procedure done by oculoplastic surgeons. It consists of removing skin and creating a youthful upper eyelid crease. This is an outpatient operation that takes about 45 minutes and may be done under mild sedation or local anesthesia. There are several advantages of performing an upper blepharoplasty with local anesthesia.
First, the patient does not need to fast before the operation; this is a big advantage if you consider the fact that a procedure done under sedation requires 8 hours of fasting.
Secondly, the recovery time is much shorter because the side effects of the sedation are avoided completely. There will be no nausea or drowsiness if the surgery is done with local anesthesia.
Finally, there is a cost factor. A blepharoplasty with sedation requires going to an operating room, while its counterpart, i.e. blepharoplasty with local anesthesia, may be done in a minor procedure room.
The fee for occupying a minor procedure room is much lower. Also, with local anesthesia it is not necessary to have an anesthesiologist present during the operation. This makes the surgery just as safe but much more affordable.
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