Quick answer
What is eyelid surgery?
Eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty, is an operation that removes or repositions excess skin and fat from the upper or lower eyelids, either for appearance or because heavy upper lids restrict vision. Eyelid surgery in Turkey usually takes 1–3 hours under local anaesthesia with sedation or general anaesthesia, usually as a day case, with about 5–7 days in Istanbul.
Eyelid Surgery at a glance
- Procedure time
- Usually 1–3 hours
- Anaesthesia
- Local with sedation, or general
- Hospital stay
- Usually same day, sometimes 1 night
- Time in Istanbul
- About 5–7 days
- Back to work
- Usually after about 10–14 days
- Price
- Written quote after review
Eyelid Surgery in Istanbul: overview
Eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty, removes or repositions excess skin and fat from the upper eyelids, the lower eyelids or both. It can soften hooded upper lids and puffy lower-lid bags, and when heavy upper lids hang over the lashes it can also improve the field of vision. For eyelid surgery in Turkey, Med World Türkiye coordinates your treatment with independent, licensed partner plastic and oculoplastic surgeons who operate in JCI-accredited partner hospitals in Istanbul. Before you travel, a partner surgeon reviews your photos, medical history and any recent eye test, and suggests whether upper, lower or combined surgery is likely to suit you.
Eyelid surgery is usually done as a day case, but recovery still takes time. Bruising and swelling around the eyes are normal and usually settle over about 2 weeks, while the final result takes several months to appear. Risks include dry or irritated eyes, difficulty closing the eyes fully for a while, visible scarring, asymmetry, a pulled-down lower lid and, rarely, bleeding behind the eye that affects vision. An eye examination may be needed before surgery, especially if you have dry eyes or wear contact lenses. We organise the surrounding logistics – airport transfers, a hotel near the hospital, an interpreter and remote aftercare follow-up – so you can focus on recovery.
Planning Eyelid Surgery in Istanbul
Which Eyelid Surgery techniques are available?
Upper blepharoplasty
The surgeon removes excess skin, and sometimes a small amount of fat or muscle, through an incision in the natural crease of the upper lid, where the scar is usually well hidden when the eyes are open. It suits hooded or heavy upper lids, including cases where the skin rests on the lashes and narrows the field of vision.
Lower blepharoplasty: external or transconjunctival
Lower-lid bags can be treated through an incision just below the lashes, which also allows loose skin to be removed, or through the inside of the lower lid (transconjunctival), which leaves no visible scar but suits mainly fat bags without much excess skin. Fat is often repositioned rather than only removed, to soften the hollow between lid and cheek.
Functional surgery and droopy lids (ptosis)
When heavy upper lids affect vision, surgery is functional as well as cosmetic, and a visual field test may be part of the assessment. A lid that droops because the lifting muscle is weak (ptosis) needs a different repair, and a low brow may need a brow lift; blepharoplasty alone does not correct either.
Combined surgery and its limits
Upper and lower blepharoplasty are often done together, and eyelid surgery can be combined with a brow lift or other facial procedures. Combining makes surgery longer and swelling greater. Eyelid surgery does not remove fine lines, crow's feet or dark circles caused by skin pigment; your surgeon explains what it can and cannot change.
Not sure which option suits you?
Send your photos, scans or reports. A partner specialist reviews them and you receive a written plan and quote before you book anything.
Why choose Med World Türkiye for Eyelid Surgery?
Surgeon review before you travel
A partner surgeon reviews your photos, medical history and eye health and suggests whether upper, lower or combined eyelid surgery is likely to suit you before you book.
JCI-accredited partner hospitals
Surgery takes place in JCI-accredited partner hospitals, under local anaesthesia with sedation or general anaesthesia, with an anaesthetist present when sedation or general anaesthesia is used.
Itemised written quote
The written quote from the partner hospital lists the technique, the eyelids treated, any eye examination, medication and every other cost before you book anything, so you can see exactly what is and is not included.
One coordinated plan and aftercare
One coordinator arranges the consultation, surgery, stitch removal, hotel and transfers, and after you fly home passes your photos and questions to the partner surgeon for follow-up.
Who is a good candidate for Eyelid Surgery?
- Adults with hooded or heavy upper eyelids, excess eyelid skin or puffy lower-lid bags that make them look tired.
- People whose upper eyelid skin rests on the lashes or narrows their field of vision, for whom surgery may also be functional.
- People with healthy eyes, or with eye conditions such as dry eye that have been assessed and are under control before surgery.
- Non-smokers, or smokers able to stop before and after surgery for as long as the surgeon advises, with realistic expectations about what surgery can change.
- Surgery is not a good idea if you have untreated dry eye or other eye disease, active thyroid eye disease, high blood pressure or a bleeding disorder that has not been assessed, or expect it to remove fine lines and dark circles.
Eyelid Surgery: is it right for me?
Questions people ask us in their own words, with straight answers.
I already have dry eyes and use drops every day. Can I still have eyelid surgery?
It depends on how severe your dry eye is and whether it is under control. Eyelid surgery can make dry, gritty eyes worse for a while, because the lids may not close fully while swelling settles, and lower-lid surgery can affect how tears spread across the eye. Mild dry eye that is well controlled does not always rule you out, but the surgeon may remove less skin and ask for an eye examination first. Untreated dry eye is a reason to wait. Send any recent eye test results and a list of the drops you use, so the partner surgeon can review them before you book.
I’ve had puffy under-eye bags since my twenties. Am I too young for lower eyelid surgery?
Not necessarily. Under-eye bags that appear young are often inherited, caused by fat pushing forward rather than by ageing skin. When there is little loose skin, a transconjunctival approach through the inside of the lower lid can treat the bags without a visible scar, and fat is often repositioned to soften the hollow above the cheek. Dark circles caused by skin pigment will not change with surgery, and puffiness from allergies or fluid retention is not something surgery fixes either. Send close-up photos in daylight, looking straight ahead and upwards, so the partner surgeon can tell you what is causing the bags.
I have a thyroid problem and my eyes look a bit bulgy. Can I still have eyelid surgery?
It depends on whether thyroid eye disease is active. While it is active, the eyes and lids can keep changing, so eyelid surgery is usually delayed until the condition has been stable for some time under your specialist’s care. Bulging eyes, or lids pulled up by thyroid disease, often need a different kind of surgery, and blepharoplasty alone may not help. A thyroid condition that is well treated and does not affect the eyes is usually less of an obstacle. Send a letter from your thyroid or eye specialist and recent photos, and the partner surgeon tells you whether surgery now is sensible.
What if my lower lid pulls down or my eyes won’t close properly after I get home?
In the first weeks this is often part of healing, but it needs watching. Some tightness and difficulty closing the eyes fully can happen while swelling settles, and it often improves. Keep using the drops or ointment as prescribed, especially at night, avoid rubbing, and follow any massage or taping advice from your surgeon. Send clear photos of your eyes open and closed to your coordinator, who passes them to the partner surgeon. A lower lid that stays pulled down after the swelling has gone may need further treatment. Sudden swelling, severe pain around the eye or any loss of vision needs urgent care locally.
I had a heart stent and take blood thinners. Is eyelid surgery possible for me?
Possibly, but only with your cardiologist’s agreement. Blood thinners raise the risk of bleeding and bruising, and around the eye a rare bleed behind the eye can threaten vision, so the plan has to be made carefully. Never stop a blood thinner on your own, especially after a stent, because stopping too early can be dangerous for your heart. Send a letter from your cardiologist, your medication list and recent blood pressure readings. The partner surgeon and anaesthetist review them, and if pausing the medicine is not safe, it may be wiser not to have elective eyelid surgery for now.
I don’t want to look surprised or hollow-eyed. Will people be able to tell?
Usually not, if the surgery is planned conservatively. The aim is to look rested, not different: the upper-lid scar sits in the natural crease, and in the lower lids fat is often repositioned rather than only removed, to avoid a hollow look. Removing too much skin or fat is what tends to look operated, and a surprised expression usually comes from a brow lifted too far rather than from eyelid surgery alone. Bruising and swelling are visible for about 2 weeks. Send a photo from some years ago alongside current ones, so the partner surgeon understands what looks like you.
What does a Eyelid Surgery trip to Istanbul look like?
- 1
Before travel – Photos & surgeon review
You send close-up photos of your eyes open and closed, your medical history, a list of your medication and any recent eye test. A partner surgeon reviews them, and you receive a written plan and an itemised quote before you book anything.
- 2
Day 1 – Arrival & consultation
After an airport transfer to your hotel, the surgeon examines your eyelids, brows and eye health, confirms the technique and explains where the scars will sit. An eye examination, blood tests and an anaesthetic assessment may follow before you sign the consent form.
- 3
Day 2 – Surgery & rest
Eyelid surgery usually takes 1–3 hours under local anaesthesia with sedation or general anaesthesia. Most people return to the hotel the same day, sometimes after one night in hospital, with eye ointment or drops, cold compresses and instructions for keeping the head raised.
- 4
Days 3–7 – Check-ups & flying home
You rest at the hotel and attend check-ups, and non-dissolvable stitches are usually removed after about 5–7 days. Swelling and bruising are still visible when most people travel, so dark glasses help; your surgeon confirms when you are fit to fly, so a flexible return ticket is sensible.
What is recovery like after Eyelid Surgery?
Recovery after eyelid surgery is gradual, and lower-lid surgery usually causes more swelling than upper-lid surgery. In the first week, expect bruising, swelling, tightness and watery or dry, gritty eyes; you sleep with your head raised, use cold compresses and the eye drops or ointment prescribed, and avoid rubbing your eyes. Blurred vision from ointment and swelling is common at first. Non-dissolvable stitches are usually removed after about 5–7 days. Most bruising settles over about 2 weeks, and many people return to desk or public-facing work after about 10–14 days. Avoid contact lenses for about 2 weeks, and avoid strenuous exercise, swimming and eye make-up until your surgeon agrees. Wear dark glasses and sun protection outdoors while the scars heal. Mild swelling, especially in the mornings, can last several weeks, and the final result is usually visible after a few months, with scars continuing to fade. Contact the surgeon promptly about sudden swelling, severe or increasing pain around the eye, loss of vision, bleeding, fever or increasing redness.
Eyelid Surgery in Turkey: how much does it cost?
The price of eyelid surgery in Turkey depends mainly on whether the upper lids, the lower lids or both are treated, the technique – external or transconjunctival, with or without fat repositioning – and whether another procedure, such as a brow lift, is combined. The partner surgeon, the partner hospital, the type of anaesthesia, any eye examination and the number of nights in the hotel also affect the total. Treatment in Turkey often costs less than private treatment in countries such as the US, Canada, the UK and much of Western Europe, mainly because of lower operating costs, but price should never be the only reason to choose a surgeon. With Med World Türkiye, a partner surgeon first reviews your photos and medical history; you then receive a written, itemised quote from the partner hospital before you book anything.
What your written quote itemises
- Surgeon and anaesthesia fees
- Operating theatre and day-case or hospital stay
- Pre-operative tests and any eye examination
- Eye drops, ointment, dressings and medication
- Hotel accommodation and airport transfers, if requested
- Interpreter and remote aftercare follow-up
Med World Türkiye does not publish a price list. Every price comes from a written, itemised quote issued by the partner hospital after a surgeon has reviewed your photos, scans or medical records.
Eyelid Surgery: frequently asked questions
How much does eyelid surgery cost in Turkey?
The cost of eyelid surgery in Turkey depends on whether the upper lids, the lower lids or both are treated, the technique, any combined procedure such as a brow lift, the type of anaesthesia, the partner surgeon and hospital, and nights in the hotel. The surgeon review is free: you send photos and your medical history, a partner surgeon reviews them, and you then receive a written, itemised quote from the partner hospital before you book anything.
Is eyelid surgery in Turkey safe?
Eyelid surgery in Turkey can be safe when it is performed by a qualified plastic or oculoplastic surgeon in an accredited hospital, after a proper assessment of your eyes. Med World Türkiye works with partner surgeons in JCI-accredited hospitals. Risks include dry or irritated eyes, temporary difficulty closing the eyes, infection, visible scarring, asymmetry, a pulled-down lower lid and, rarely, bleeding behind the eye that can threaten vision. Your surgeon explains these before you consent.
How long should I stay in Istanbul for eyelid surgery?
Plan to stay in Istanbul for about 5–7 days for eyelid surgery. This usually covers the consultation on arrival, surgery as a day case or with one night in hospital, check-ups and the removal of non-dissolvable stitches after about 5–7 days. Your surgeon confirms when you are fit to fly. Combined procedures, such as eyelid surgery with a brow lift, may need a longer stay, so a flexible return ticket is sensible.
How long does it take to recover from blepharoplasty?
Most bruising and swelling after blepharoplasty settles over about 2 weeks, and many people return to desk or public-facing work after about 10–14 days. Lower-lid surgery usually takes a little longer to settle than upper-lid surgery. Contact lenses, strenuous exercise, swimming and eye make-up are usually avoided for about 2 weeks or until your surgeon agrees. Mild swelling can last several weeks, and the final result is usually visible after a few months.
How long do eyelid surgery results last?
Eyelid surgery results are long-lasting, but they do not stop ageing. The results of lower-lid surgery are usually long-lasting, while the upper lids may become heavier again over the years as the skin keeps ageing and the brows descend. Sun protection, not smoking and a stable weight help. Some people later choose a brow lift or a second, smaller procedure; your surgeon can explain what to expect for your eyelids.
Does eyelid surgery hurt, and will there be scars?
Eyelid surgery is done under local anaesthesia with sedation or general anaesthesia, so you should not feel pain during the operation. Afterwards most people describe tightness, soreness and gritty eyes rather than severe pain, which usual pain relief and cold compresses help. Upper-lid scars sit in the natural crease and usually fade to a fine line over months; transconjunctival lower-lid surgery leaves no visible scar, while an incision below the lashes leaves a fine scar there.
What is the difference between transconjunctival and external lower blepharoplasty?
Transconjunctival lower blepharoplasty is done through the inside of the lower lid, so there is no visible scar; it suits mainly bags of fat without much loose skin. External lower blepharoplasty uses an incision just below the lashes, which also lets the surgeon remove or tighten excess skin and support the lid, leaving a fine scar. Both can reposition fat. Your surgeon recommends a technique after examining your lids and skin.
How do I choose an eyelid surgeon in Turkey I can trust?
Choose an oculoplastic surgeon, a plastic surgeon or a facial plastic surgeon who performs eyelid surgery regularly. A careful surgeon asks about dry eyes, vision and any previous eye surgery, and explains whether the upper lids, lower lids or brows are the main cause of the tired look. Ask to see their own before-and-after photos, shared with consent, and check where the procedure takes place and who gives the anaesthetic. Through Med World Türkiye, your written plan names the partner surgeon and hospital, and you can show it to a doctor at home before you agree.
Related procedures
Part of our specialty: Aesthetic, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
This page provides general information and is not medical advice. Whether a procedure is right for you, which technique is used and what results to expect can only be decided after a consultation with a qualified specialist. All surgery carries risks, which your surgeon will explain before you consent.