Dr. John Hilinski performs blepharoplasty on both upper and lower eyelids for a more youthful appearance
San Diego, CA – Dr. John Hilinski is a double board-certified San Diego facial plastic surgeon and recognized expert in the field. Among the many cosmetic facial surgeries he performs, Dr. Hilinski also offers his patients eyelid lift treatments (blepharoplasty) to re-contour the upper and/or lower eyelids.
Dr. Hilinski says the benefits of eyelid surgery are largely related to the cosmetic enhancement of the eyes. While upper eyelid surgery can remove heavy, weighted excess skin and yield a rejuvenated look, lower eyelid surgery can tighten up and contour the lower eyelid while enhancing the general appearance of the adjacent cheek. Dr. Hilinski notes that in addition to the aesthetic benefits, there are potential functional benefits to the procedures.
According to Dr. Hilinski, candidates for eyelid surgery seek to:
- Remove excess skin
- Relieve the eye of a “heavy appearance”
- Relieve the eye of puffiness or “bags”
- Allow for an easier, cleaner application of eye shadow and liner
- Restore impaired vision
Dr. Hilinski notes that upper eyelid surgery can be done readily under local anesthesia, but patients can also be provided with an oral sedative to feel more relaxed. An upper eyelid blepharoplasty can typically be performed in about an hour in Dr. Hilinski’s ambulatory surgery center.
Lower eyelid surgery can be a bit more sensitive for patients and usually requires at least IV sedation, according to Dr. Hilinski. This surgery can be performed without any external incisions and no visible scarring.
During both surgeries, any incisions that are used to remove skin and tighten the eyelid are carefully placed in the patient’s natural skin creases to minimize any visible scarring. When patients opt for both upper and lower eyelid surgery, stitches are usually removed after 4-5 days and most swelling and bruising resolves in 7-10 days.
“In today’s day and age, I am performing upper eyelid blepharoplasty surgery more commonly than lower eyelid lifting,” says Dr. Hilinski. He believes his San Diego facial plastic surgery patients choose upper eyelid surgery in large part because only local anesthesia is necessary. Nevertheless, he still sees a large number of patients who opt to undergo combined upper and lower eyelid surgical enhancement.
About John M. Hilinski, M.D.
Dr. John Hilinski is a double board-certified plastic surgeon in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Head and Neck Surgery. He earned his medical degree at Harvard Medical School and completed his residency at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Medical Center. Dr. Hilinski is extensively trained in a number of procedures including rhinoplasty and facelift surgery. He is available for interview upon request.