Nothing is more looked at, and into, than the eyes. The eyes are often said to be “the windows to the soul”; however, the eyelids should not shade this beauty! Sometimes, excess skin obscures the upper eyelids due to aging, and bags can overtake the lower lids. The orbitomalar complex is comprised of the eyebrow, the eyelid, the cheekbone, and the soft tissues of the lower lid. The crucial relationship between these anatomical elements must work in conjunction to produce an attractive overall aesthetic.

Often these elements are disadvantaged by the gravitational effects of the aging process – yet sometimes, genetics are responsible. In fact, many young people possess protruding lower-lid fat pads that create an appearance of looking perpetually tired, or they might suffer from an overabundance of upper-eyelid skin. Blepharoplasty surgery, also known as “eyelid lifting,” can correct all of these issues. Most important is to have a conservative approach so the eyes are returned to their natural shape and attractiveness without obscuring someone’s original aesthetic.

Top New York plastic surgeon Dr. Barry Weintraub is board-certified and Ivy League educated at the Weill-Cornell Medical Center. He is a national spokesperson for the American Board of Plastic Surgery. With more than two decades of experience, Dr. Weintraub is in his surgical prime with the quiet calm of success – mature in his aesthetic judgment, and possessing a keen eye toward natural beauty.

What is Blepharoplasty?
Considering Blepharoplasty
Goals of Blepharoplasty
Your Consultation
Choosing A Plastic Surgeon
How Blepharoplasty is Performed
Where the Blepharoplasty is Performed
The Best Candidates for Blepharoplasty
Preparing for Blepharoplasty
The Cost
After Surgery
What Sets Dr. Weintraub Apart

What is Blepharoplasty?

Blepharoplasty, or eyelid rejuvenation, is the removal of excess skin and fat from the upper and/or lower eyelids.

One of the first facial features that begins to show signs of aging are our eyes.

Have you ever awakened in the morning, looked at yourself in the mirror, and wondered where those puffs and bags came from? Similarly, have you noticed that your upper eyelid skin has folded over on itself almost down to the base of your eyelashes? And did you say to yourself, “I thought only my grandmother/grandfather looked like that?”

Similarly, have you ever noticed that your once-almond-shaped eyes have become almost round? Have you observed that the smooth lower-lid skin of your teenage years has become wrinkled, corrugated, irregular, and crepey like tissue paper?

Cosmetic Blepharoplasty addresses these issues and restores beauty, smoothness, and attractiveness to your face. Excess skin of the upper eyelids is carefully removed through an elliptical incision that lies just below your normal blink crease. An invisible subcuticular suture is neatly sewn to mimic a hairline wrinkle in the blink crease, disguising the incision and hiding it from sight. In addition, the fat pads can be removed above and/or below the eye so that the overlying skin lies smoothly without unwanted fatty puffs or dark circles.

Depending on the severity, Blepharoplasty can be performed in a number of different ways. Our experienced plastic surgeon, Dr. Weintraub, prefers, whenever possible, is to remove the lower-eyelid fat pads or “bags” through the backside of the lower eyelid so as not to leave a scar. Once these protuberant fatty sacks are teased free, Dr. Weintraub then deals with the lower skin, which can be crepey and redundant, with a moderate-depth peel or laser. With this lower eyelid surgery technique, the area can be dramatically beautified. In more severe cases, and in patients who have deferred maintenance, redundant lower eyelid skin must be directly excised. The remaining skin is carefully put back into position with camouflaged micro sutures that delicately run in and out the bases of the lower eyelashes.

Considering Blepharoplasty

There is no specific chronological age that determines when you should have a rejuvenative procedure; the best way to know when it’s right to call for a consultation is when you look in the mirror and see something that truly bothers you. Likewise, there is only one person to have plastic surgery for: you and you alone. It should never be undertaken due to pressure from others.

Patient Results

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Goals of Blepharoplasty

The goal is to recreate the neat, clean, sleek and unencumbered eyelids of youth. Excess redundant crepey skin and protruding fat pads are the culprits. Eyes should look refreshed but never surprised, and Dr. Weintraub pays close attention to not removing an unnatural amount of skin and fat, which causes the freaky “deer in the headlights look.” The hallmark of the highest quality eyelid rejuvenation is when the eyes look untouched, as if they were never operated upon.

Your Consultation

You’ve certainly looked in the mirror many times. However, when you look in the mirror and begin to see things that upset you, that’s when you should schedule a consultation. A consultation will help give you a better understanding of your own issues.

When choosing a surgeon, you should:

Check for board certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (there are many other boards, some legitimate, some not, but there is only one American Board of Plastic Surgery, established in 1931)
Ensure that the physician attends a major hospital in your community, and is in good standing with that hospital
Confirm that he or she has a fine reputation amongst other medical professionals in your community
Speak to the surgeon’s patients who have undergone similar procedures

Remember, this is your surgery, and you are interviewing the doctor as much as he’s interviewing you. Do not hesitate to bring a list of questions with you on your consultation. And remember: a good surgeon is someone who not only has the skill to perform the surgery, but is someone who understands what your specific needs and desires are. A good surgeon should listen, listen, and listen!

Have no fear during your consultation. This is a time to speak, to be heard, to learn, and to develop a trusting relationship. Questions can be answered, and fears allayed. And while Dr. Weintraub is at the cutting edge of his field in terms of technique and medical developments, you will find his office environment to be comforting, personable, and inviting. He and his staff truly care about each and every patient, and take great pride in making themselves available to help with every step of the process.

How Blepharoplasty is Performed

Safety comes first. Plastic surgery is surgery, and should therefore be taken seriously.

Dr. Weintraub prefers his patients to be in a comfortable state of twilight sleep, where the patient is unarousable and is awakened only after the procedure is over. Due to advancements in anesthesia and new medications possessing a shorter half-life, no longer do patients have to contend with nausea, vomiting or grogginess; rather, the emergence from anesthesia is crisp and clear.

Dr. Weintraub insists on the most sterile conditions in the operating room, with board-certified anesthesiologists and state-of-the-art monitoring equipment commensurate with the highest hospital standards. The only person performing the surgery is Dr. Weintraub himself. Every intraoperative maneuver is executed with precision and care, and all wounds are sewn in multiple layers by his own hand.

Cosmetic plastic surgery should never be rushed, and Dr. Weintraub always strives for the best, as he understands that patients will live with the result for the rest of their lives. His aesthetic is sophisticated and reflective of understated elegance. In his own words, “Cosmetic surgery is nothing less than artwork on the human form.”

Where the Blepharoplasty is Performed

Though once limited to a hospital setting, the more modern approach to cosmetic plastic surgery is to perform such procedures in a safe, secure and completely private operating room. Although Dr. Weintraub has privileges at Lenox Hill Hospital, Manhattan Eye Ear and Throat Hospital, and The Center for Specialty Care (outpatient limb of Weill-Cornell Hospital), he prefers the privacy of his hospital-grade, state-of-the-art surgical center attached to his office at 800A Fifth Avenue. This facility is attended by Dr. Weintraub’s team of board-certified anesthesiologists, certified registered nurses, and fully licensed operating-room staff. With its private entrance, its standards are of the highest quality, and offer Dr. Weintraub’s patients the utmost in medical and plastic-surgical care.

The Best Candidates for Blepharoplasty

The best candidates for aesthetic plastic surgery are well balanced, in good general health, and possess realistic expectations. You are an excellent candidate if you’ve done your homework, have had your consultation, and the following three things are present:

You are highly motivated to make the change
You have the ability to pause your daily responsibilities (work, family, school etc.) in order to undergo the procedure
You have the financial wherewithal to make an elective cosmetic surgery come to fruition

Preparing for Blepharoplasty

Once you have decided to make this exciting new change, you will need to provide medical clearance from your family physician. You will be given instructions as to how to prepare for the specific surgery you have chosen, and will be given prescriptions to be filled in advance. For those patients who live beyond a 50-mile radius of New York City, Dr. Weintraub advises a two-night post-operative stay at The Mark or The Carlyle Hotel, where his patients are given a special reduced rate, and where he will visit you after your procedure. A private nurse can also be provided.

The Cost

Each patient is individual in his/her own makeup and anatomical configuration. Therefore, in order to give an accurate quote, it is best to schedule a consultation that will allow Dr. Weintraub to appropriately judge what is involved. For those patients who live overseas or outside the New York metropolitan area, photographs can be emailed or sent to the office, and a phone consultation can then take place.

After Surgery

You must carefully follow all instructions provided by Dr. Weintraub in order to achieve the best results possible. Mild pain medication, a broad-spectrum antibiotic, and medication to reduce swelling are all begun immediately following surgery. The area around the eyes is the most delicate on the face, but is also the quickest to heal because the blood supply to the area is so robust. The upper eyelid incision will be neatly hand-sewn with one tiny subcuticular (under-the-skin) suture per eye of the finest, and thinnest diameter. The lower eyelid almost never has any telltale signs of incision because, in most cases, it is approached from behind the lid, requiring no suture closure. There will be minimal swelling and bruising since a full 20 minutes is allotted during surgery to allow the vasoconstrictor solution to shrink all vessels in the area, insuring minimal bleeding. Dr. Weintraub prefers his patients to shower on the second post-operative day because he believes that clean wounds make for invisible incisions. The single suture in the upper eyelid is generally removed on the fifth postoperative day. (Female patients can wear eye makeup as soon as the suture is removed.) Dr. Weintraub will advise you as to when you can return to your normal lifestyle and exercise routine.

What Sets Dr. Weintraub Apart

Dr. Weintraub has always been blessed with a strong aesthetic sense. He possesses a unique blend of medical science and artwork, as it truly is artwork that he performs on the human form. His attention to detail ensures that he gets the best results possible, and he is meticulous about everything he does, from pre-op to post-op care and beyond.* Highly experienced in facial procedures like eyelid surgery, Dr. Weintraub has been recognized by several publications for his expertise and dedication. In 2024, he was named one of America’s Best Plastic Surgeons by Newsweek in the categories of facelift and eyelid surgery.

He studied medicine at Cornell during a time when core values were emphasized, and it is on these values that he bases his practice. He believes that physicians should be humble and respectful, and should never lose sight that the person they are operating on is exactly that: a person possessing real-life issues and concerns. The chairmen of the department of general surgery at Cornell at the time, Dr. Tom Shires, along with another luminary, Dr. Leon Morgenstern of Cedars-Sinai, taught Dr. Weintraub that “The operating room is a sacred place. It’s a very serious place. Never be cavalier about surgery.”

During his surgical residency training, Dr. Weintraub regularly visited Mexico to donate his time operating on deformed children and adults who couldn’t afford proper healthcare. In less-than-optimal conditions, he learned how to perform surgery with the basics, and received great satisfaction in making profound differences in people’s lives by restoring their faces and bodies. Similarly, when he was Chief Resident at the New York Hospital – Cornell Medical Center, and later when he was Chief Resident at the Reconstructive Unit at Memorial Sloan-Kettering, he found that his compassion for patients, along with his skill and precision as a surgeon, could change lives and bring people joy they never thought possible.

Dr. Weintraub believes that surgery is never a race. The patient is always number one. He keeps in his wallet a piece of paper that is his motto in the operating room: “Always demand what is right, and never accept second best.” He likes to consider himself a “thinking surgeon,” and does not enter the operating room with a mechanical series of steps to execute robotically, but likes to remain alert and ready for whatever intraoperative challenges might spontaneously arise. Although many notable surgeons openly listen to music while performing surgery, Dr. Weintraub does not, preferring the mood of the operating room to remain serious and focused.

Over 60% of Dr. Weintraub’s practice is comprised of complex redos of surgeries performed by other offices. Such procedures always involve difficult issues, since there exist not only the limitations of a patient’s own anatomy, but also the limitations of another surgeon’s aesthetic, and the scar tissue that has developed as a result. Patients seek Dr. Weintraub from all over the world to correct their aesthetic problems. He takes great pride in getting the best results, and always enjoys the challenges of such procedures.

Last, Dr. Weintraub will not hesitate to turn patients away if he feels they are not good candidates for surgery. If a surgery is not in someone’s best interest, he will be the first to say so. However, when a patient is a good candidate, the results produced by Dr. Weintraub can be magical, and he feels that it is an honor to give patients a gift they can enjoy for the rest of their lives.

How To Get Started

Dr. Weintraub and his staff will be happy to discuss Blepharoplasty with you. Please call our office for a private consultation. We hope you look forward to our warm welcome and the opportunity for us to help you make an educated and confident decision.

Contact our office today and set up your consultation for an Eyelid Surgery.