I recently had an upper eyelid blepharoplasty or eyelid lift surgery. I am sharing my experience so that people considering eyelid lift surgery might get more information to help them with their choice. To make this honest and accurate I have had to forgo my dislike of having my picture taken, taking selfies, and being seen without makeup. So prepare yourselves!!
with and without makeup
Why did I decide to have eyelid lift surgery?
I have always had fullness above my eyes. These puffy pierogies were unlovable, but I inherited them from my dad so it would be churlish to not try and live with them. As long as they stayed where they were, I would let them be. About eighteen months ago these pierogies seemed to slip down and were resting on my eyelids. I don’t know if it was because the knee replacement removed a huge inflammation generating portion of my anatomy or, you know, Age dahling.
In their declined position it felt as if the pierogis were pressing on my eyeballs. The right side was so droopy that, at times, I felt I could see part of it in my peripheral vision. As well as uncomfortable the drooping pierogies were simply not a youthful look. I thought about it for a while. Was I being Vain? Hell yeah! And that’s OK! I don’t mind what other people think, but I wasn’t happy with what I was seeing and experiencing with these bloody eyelids.
How did I choose Dr. Buonassisi and 8 West Clinic?
How does one go about choosing a plastic surgeon to deal with drooping pierogies? In Canada this is most often a private procedure. Very rarely is it covered by the provincial medical plan. I started with the rateMDs website. After reading a lot of reviews for local plastic surgeons, I chose three to look into further. I went to their websites and read their reviews and looked at the before and after photos. I didn’t look only at the eyelid lift results but other procedures also. What I wanted to see were results that looked normal, appropriate (no cute button noses on a face that is all planes and angles) and not overdone. I chose to start with Dr. Thomas Buonassisi at his 8 West Clinic at Broadway and Burrard in Vancouver. I was impressed with how good his patients looked in their after photos, the reviews on the rate MDs indicated that he prepared his patients well for the process and results. Also, his office staff got rave reviews. It was a bonus that he went to McGill, my alma mater, so I knew what kind of medical training he had.
My consultation with Dr. Buonassisi was everything I had hoped for. He was very concerned that my expectations were realistic and explained clearly what the process would entail. After meeting with him, I had another excellent meeting with his office manager, Katie, where she gave me more details. Katie revealed that Dr. Buonassisi had done her eyelids several years before and I was able to inspect the work up close. The scars were invisible and her eyes looked great.
I was in! One eyelid lift surgery for me!
What did I hope to achieve?
I wanted me only better. I didn’t expect to look younger or thinner or end up with deep sockets like Angelina Jolie. I wanted less droopy eyes and eyes that looked open without me having to raise my eyebrows.
The clinic kept in touch, making sure I did the consent forms and answered my questions and concerns. We had decided that I didn’t need Ativan during the procedure, but I still arranged to have my son pick me up, because who wants to go home in a taxi.
The day before I went in for the procedure I spoke to Katie about sharing the experience on my blog. The clinic’s media manager, Angie Buonassisi, got back to me, and we, very enthusiastically, agreed to collaborate. We planned some photos and video with a little interview that we could both use. Many of the pictures and video are courtesy of 8 West Cosmetic Surgery. You can see some on their IG @8westcosmetic. Full disclosure; for my participation in this collaborative effort I have been given some credits to use at the clinic for future treatment but my research, opinions, and statements are all my own and unscripted.
Katie and I chatting before the interview. Two gorgeous redheads charming the camera
Dr. Buonassisi reviews the surgery plan with me.
Marking the incision lines
The Worst cateyes ever!! Happily, Dr. B does not do the makeup lessons.
The blepharoplasty eyelid lift surgery was very quick.
It seemed to take longer for the numbing to take effect than for Dr. B to do the cutting and stitching. The cuts felt like someone lightly drawing a pen over my lids. There were a couple of instances that involved pressing a bit on my eyeball which was a little uncomfortable. I was nervous, of course, but the only time I felt at all anxious was during the stitching of the incision edges on my left eye. The one they did first. I don’t know why as I was not consciously more concerned but my heart rate went up and I felt a bit shaky. As I knew what to expect this didn’t happen with the second eye. Throughout the whole procedure, Dr. B and his staff were very attentive and reassuring.
This is moments after the last stitch went in. Already an improvement!!
Below is a short video of some of my interview and the procedure. WARNING! There are a couple of gory moments when Dr. B makes the incisions.
The post surgery results are coming up in another post. I am so excited to share the results and all the fun things 8 West Clinic has to offer.
Don’t forget to pin this so you can find it again.
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