The eyes: our window onto the world

When the tissues around the eyes sag or retract, the impact goes beyond aesthetics: the visual field narrows, eye strain increases, and the gaze loses some of its expressiveness.
It’s not just a matter of ageing: trauma, illness, or congenital malformations can alter the function of the eyelids and periorbital structures, making targeted surgical procedures necessary.

«Periocular issues can vary and essentially concern the opening of the soft tissues around our window onto the world, which is the eye. When these periorbital tissues, namely the eyebrow, upper eyelid, lower eyelid, and cheekbone area, are retracted or drooping over the eye, they negatively affect its function – explains Dr. Antonio Taveggia, head of the plastic and reconstructive surgery department at the Ospedale Maggiore della Carità in Novara – In all these cases, which historically and commonly arise from trauma, diseases, or congenital malformations, a whole range of procedures has been developed to reposition these soft tissues, later also adopted in aesthetic surgery».

The invisible boundaries around the eyes

Around the eye, soft tissues create invisible boundaries between function and beauty. Periocular surgery repositions these tissues and restores both function and aesthetic harmony.

Among the most common procedures, upper blepharoplasty is the most widespread.

«Blepharochalasis is a common condition affecting most people after a certain age. In this condition, the orbicularis muscle and the skin fall over the eyelashes and can sometimes reduce the visual field».

The benefits are clear and tangible, both aesthetic and functional: «A cleaner, more open gaze; improved ability to apply makeup; better vision than before; and reduced eye strain, especially in the evening and in low-light conditions».

Periocular surgery: precision, risks, and restoring the gaze

Periocular surgery remains delicate. Every correction requires precision and care. As with any surgical procedure, there are common risks such as infection or bleeding.

Taveggia adds: «Overcorrection is also frequent; you move from one defect to the opposite. In more severe cases, such as periorbital surgery, bleeding behind the orbit can lead to a retrobulbar hematoma, which, in the worst-case scenario, may result in blindness. This is the most serious risk that can occur».

Complications are therefore part of the clinical journey, and managing them is integral to the procedure. «Asymmetry or overcorrection can be addressed with a new surgical intervention. As for retrobulbar hematoma, it represents a medical and surgical emergency that must be treated by releasing the corner of the eye and decompressing the periorbital area».

Every procedure becomes a small act of restoration: not only of form, but of function, expressiveness, and quality of life.