Eyelid Surgery in the Young

Neigel Center for Cosmetic and Laser Surgery

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Eyelid surgery is not an adults-only proposition. Children suffering from functional problems as a result of droopy eyelids can also benefit from the surgery. In fact, eyelid surgery can be performed on infants as young as one week of age, especially if the child is born with a congenital problem such as extremely droopy eyelids that block the vision. If vision is not blocked, a droopy eyelid is usually repaired between 3 and 5 years of age before the child starts school.

Teenagers may require blepharoplasty to correct a condition called blepharochalasis, a recurrent swelling of the tissues around the eyes that causes extreme stretching of the skin and muscle layer and severe prolapse of fatty tissue. This surgery is sometimes covered by insurance.

In young patients with thyroid eye disease, the swelling of the tissues can cause marked bulging of the fat into the eyelids, causing them to look older than the rest of the face. Even though the condition is caused by a systemic medical disease, it is often difficult to obtain insurance coverage. Patients should wait one to two years until the thyroid eye disease has stabilized before undergoing any cosmetic eyelid surgery.

Because it is easy to remove too much skin in young patients, resulting in complications such as abnormal lid closure and appearance, surgeons must ensure that the surgery is performed as conservatively as possible. Whenever possible, surgery should be done from the inside of the eyelids (transconjunctival approach) to hide the scar and prevent any skin shrinkage.

Young patients can improve acne or facial scars by at least 50 percent with resurfacing treatment from a carbon dioxide laser.