In 2005, blepharoplasty or cosmetic eyelid surgery was listed as the third most popular surgical procedure among men and women by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). Over 230,000 operations were performed in the United States alone.

In the United Kingdom, the same procedure proved to be even more popular. A similar survey showed blepharoplasty was the second most popular surgical procedure for both men and women with an increase of over 50 percent in the number of cases from the previous year.

“Cosmetic surgery is more popular than ever. Moreover, it is no longer just for the rich and famous. More and more people everyday are opting for plastic surgery to improve their looks and hopefully their lives,” according to an article in the web page of the Hilton Head Regional Medical Center in South Carolina.

In blepharoplasty, fat, excess skin, and muscle are removed from the eyelids to lift drooping upper eyelids and reduce puffy eye bags that form under the eyes. Upper and lower eyelid surgery can be done at the same time. The procedure costs anywhere from $1,500 to $7,000 and can be done in a hospital, surgical center or office. It normally lasts from one to three hours using general or local anesthesia or sedation.

Like other surgical methods, however, blepharoplasty has risks and complications, and not everyone will benefit from the procedure. Among the many possible bad things a patient can experience after the operation are bleeding, blindness, blurred vision, double vision, difficulty closing the eyes, dry eyes, excessive tearing, and scarring.

“Complications of eyelid surgery, while rare, can cause prolonged healing, change in or loss of vision, unpleasant - looking and painful scars, the inconvenience and cost of further surgery, and the possibility of requiring eye drops or ointment, temporarily or permanently,” warned the people at smartplasticsurgery.com.

Take the case of John McGill, 52, from Cambridgeshire, England, who was assured that eyelid surgery was simple and wouldn’t take long. True enough, he left the surgeon’s office after 25 minutes and that’s when his troubles began.