Service
Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty)
Blepharoplasty removes excess skin and, if needed, fatty tissue from the upper eyelids, and on the lower eyelids it removes or repositions the fatty tissue that causes bags. It is done for vision, for appearance or for both.
What concerns does it address?
Upper eyelids
The incision is made in the natural crease of the eyelid. A strip of skin and, if needed, some fatty tissue is removed. The scar lies in the crease and is not visible when the eye is open.
Lower eyelids
The incision is made along the lash line or on the inner side of the eyelid, with no external scar. The fatty tissue that causes bags is removed or moved into the hollow below, which forms with age.
When the bags under the eyes are caused only by protruding fatty tissue and there is no excess skin, we do a procedure through the conjunctiva, with no cut on the skin: through the inner side of the lower eyelid we reach the three fat pads and remove as much as needed. There is no external scar, less bruising on the skin, and the stitches on the conjunctiva dissolve by themselves. It is technically more demanding and needs a good indication — if there is excess skin after all, it is removed through an external approach. On the first day, cold compresses and eye drops are used.
With other procedures
When the eyelid is heavy because of a drooping brow, a brow lift is done together with the eyelids. → Brow lift When the hollow under the eye is deep, facial fat transfer is done together with the eyelids. → Facial fat transfer When the edge of the eyelid has dropped, ptosis correction is needed, not only the removal of skin.
→ Correction of a drooping eyelid (ptosis) and ectropion
With more marked changes of the whole face, the eyelids are often done as the first stage of a facelift, so that the area around the eyes later forms a whole with the rest of the face.
When is the procedure not suitable?
Before the procedure, the cause is established: excess eyelid skin, protruding fatty tissue, a drooping brow or a dropped eyelid edge (ptosis) — each needs a different procedure, and removing skin when the brow is drooping or there is ptosis does not solve the problem and uses up skin that is later missing. With dry eye, thyroid disease with protruding eyes and after earlier eyelid operations, planning is more careful, because the risk that the eye will not close fully after the procedure is higher. If you wear contact lenses, they are not worn for the first week or two after the procedure.
General reasons for postponing a procedure (pregnancy, breastfeeding, inflammation, a clotting disorder, smoking): When is a procedure postponed?
Anaesthesia
Before a procedure under general or regional anaesthesia, you are seen by the anaesthetist, who works full time at the clinic; the same doctor is also present during the procedure. The anaesthetic assessment and the anaesthesia for larger operations are included in the price of the procedure. What happens before, during and after anaesthesia is described on the Anaesthesia page.
Risks
Occasional — dry eye and a feeling of tightness in the first weeks, asymmetry that needs correction, temporarily difficult eye closure, small white cysts along the scar that are easily removed, bruising on the white of the eye after a procedure through the conjunctiva, temporarily blurred vision from ointment and swelling.
Rare — a dropped lower eyelid or an everted edge (ectropion) when too much skin has been removed, which needs correction; bleeding behind the eye after the procedure — sudden pain and pressure need an urgent examination.
Expected, and rare but serious → Risks and complications: what is the course of healing, and what is a complication?
Price
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Upper eyelid blepharoplasty (local anaesthesia) | €1,400–1,600 |
| Lower eyelid blepharoplasty (local anaesthesia) | €1,600–2,000 |
| Upper and lower eyelid blepharoplasty | €2,600–3,300 |
| Upper and lower eyelid blepharoplasty with a temporal lift or brow lift | €3,300–4,300 |
| Upper and lower eyelid blepharoplasty with facial fat transfer (local) | €4,000–4,500 |
| Upper and lower eyelid blepharoplasty with facial fat transfer (general) | €4,500–5,000 |
Specialist and team
Specialty: plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery.
When the procedure is done under sedation or general anaesthesia, the anaesthesia is led by a specialist in anaesthesiology, resuscitation and intensive care who works full time at the clinic.
In the operating theatre, the surgeon is assisted by head nurse Martina Šereg, with the help of nurses Kristina Jurešić and Mateja Tomorad, and in recovery the care assistant Mirjana Kovačić is with you. Martina also looks after preparation, scheduling and contact after the procedure.
Who will operate is decided at the examination, based on the findings and the type of procedure. You know the name of the surgeon before the procedure and meet them at the examination.
What happens at the examination?
The first examination lasts 30 to 45 minutes on average. The surgeon examines the area you are concerned about, asks about illnesses, medicines, allergies and previous operations, and talks with you about what you expect. If the procedure is appropriate and likely to help, you receive a plan: which procedure is proposed, under which anaesthesia, what recovery looks like and what is included in the price. If the procedure is not needed or would not give you what you expect, you will hear that at the examination too.
What if the result is not as agreed?
The result of a procedure is assessed at a follow-up visit, once the swelling has gone down and the scar has matured, not in the first weeks. If it differs from what was agreed at the examination, the same surgeon carries out the correction.
→ Poliklinika Barbel's correction policy
In the same visit
- Brow lift — when the eyelid is heavy because of a drooping brow, the brow is lifted in the same procedure.
- Facial fat transfer — a deep hollow between the eyelid and the cheek is filled with your own fat, often in the same procedure.
- Botox — wrinkles, sweating, teeth grinding — laughter lines at the side of the eye come from muscle movement and surgery does not remove them, so eyelid surgery and Botox are often combined.
Frequently asked questions
Eyelid or brow — which one is drooping? Often both, and the difference is simple to tell: when you lift the brow with a finger to where it used to be, how much excess eyelid skin is left? If almost none, the problem is the brow. If some is left, the problem is the eyelid. Removing eyelid skin when the brow is drooping gives a short-lived and poor result — which is why the two are told apart at the examination.
Do dark circles go away? It depends on what causes them. Bags made of fatty tissue — yes. Dark skin colour under the eye — no, it comes from thin skin and blood vessels and does not change with surgery. The hollow between the eyelid and the cheek — filled with your own fat, often in the same procedure.
Does the operation deal with lines around the eyes? It removes excess skin, but not the laughter lines at the side of the eye — they come from muscle movement and are treated with Botox. That is why eyelid surgery and Botox are often combined.
When is the right time? When the skin of the upper eyelid gets in the way of vision or appearance, or when bags give a tired look — age is not the measure. Eyelids are often done before any other procedure on the face, because changes around the eyes come first.
How long does the result last? For most people many years; removed skin and fatty tissue do not come back, but the face keeps ageing. A repeat eyelid procedure is rarely needed.
What does eyelid care look like after the operation? Swelling and bruising are greatest on the second and third day. In the first days, cooling and sleeping with your head raised help. Stitches are removed on the fifth to seventh day, and exercise is put off for two to three weeks.
How much does the result depend on care after the procedure? The larger the procedure, the more it depends on it, but it always does. Healing takes weeks and months and happens almost entirely at home, so the instructions you receive when you go home, about the wound, physical activity and the scar, are part of the procedure, not a recommendation.
Medical review: doctors of Poliklinika Barbel · October 2026.