Eyelid surgery — medically known as blepharoplasty — is one of the most commonly performed facial plastic surgeries in the United States, with several hundred thousand procedures each year according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. The cost of eyelid surgery generally ranges from about $3,000 to $7,000 depending on whether you are having upper lids, lower lids, or both done, and on where you live. When drooping eyelids impair your vision, insurance may cover the procedure — potentially changing the financial equation from thousands out of pocket to your plan’s standard cost sharing.
Understanding what drives surgical pricing helps you budget and compare options effectively. Our complete healthcare costs guide explains the broader system, while this article focuses specifically on blepharoplasty expenses in 2026 and how to minimize them.
The short version: Cosmetic eyelid surgery is paid out of pocket and commonly totals several thousand dollars, varying widely by region, surgeon, facility, and anesthesia. If drooping upper lids block part of your vision, a functional upper blepharoplasty may be covered by insurance or Medicare when you have supporting documentation (a visual field test and photos). Prices below are general estimates that change over time — get itemized, all-inclusive quotes and confirm coverage in writing before scheduling. Above all, choose a qualified, experienced surgeon; this is delicate surgery around the eye, and safety comes first. This article is general information, not medical or financial advice.
Average Eyelid Surgery Costs
The ASPS publishes an average surgeon’s fee for blepharoplasty that has typically sat in the low-to-mid four figures in recent years; treat any single figure as a national average that shifts annually and varies by market. Importantly, the surgeon’s fee represents only about half to 60% of the total cost — a common reality in surgical pricing that catches many patients off guard. Add facility fees (roughly $1,000 to $2,500 depending on the setting), anesthesia ($500 to $1,500 based on type and duration), pre-operative testing ($100 to $300 for blood work and eye measurements), and post-operative care ($200 to $400 for follow-up visits and supplies), and the full picture comes into focus.
Upper blepharoplasty alone typically runs about $3,000 to $5,000 total. The procedure usually takes under an hour and removes excess skin, muscle, and sometimes fat from the upper eyelid. Lower blepharoplasty — a more complex procedure involving fat repositioning, removal, or redistribution to address under-eye bags and puffiness — commonly costs $3,500 to $6,000. Having both upper and lower lids done together often ranges from about $5,000 to $9,000, frequently with a combined saving of several hundred to a couple thousand dollars because facility and anesthesia fees are shared across both procedures.
Asian blepharoplasty (double eyelid surgery), a specialized technique that creates or enhances the supratarsal crease, falls in a similar range, roughly $3,000 to $6,000. This procedure requires specific surgical expertise, and outcomes depend heavily on the surgeon’s experience with the technique.
Geographic pricing variation is significant. Procedures in major coastal cities can cost noticeably more than in the Midwest or South — sometimes 25% to 50% higher for the same operation. This variation largely reflects differences in real estate costs, staff wages, malpractice insurance, and general cost of living rather than differences in surgical quality. Because of this spread, the estimates in this article are starting points to verify with local quotes, not fixed prices.
When Insurance Covers Eyelid Surgery
Upper blepharoplasty is covered by many insurance plans — including Medicare — when it is performed to correct ptosis or dermatochalasis (drooping upper lids or excess skin) that obstructs vision. This makes it one of the few “cosmetic-looking” procedures that insurers may approve as medically necessary. The threshold for coverage typically requires a visual field test showing that the drooping lids or excess skin reduce your superior (upper) peripheral vision by a specified amount, along with supporting documentation.
To qualify, your ophthalmologist or oculoplastic surgeon will usually perform a visual field test (such as a Humphrey visual field) with and without the eyelid taped up. If the test demonstrates meaningful visual field improvement with the lid elevated, your insurer is more likely to approve the procedure as functional. Photographs documenting the degree of drooping, including measurement of the margin-to-reflex distance (MRD1), are also commonly required for prior authorization. Exact numeric criteria vary by insurer and by year, so ask your surgeon’s office to confirm your specific plan’s current requirements.
Some insurers impose additional criteria. You may need documentation that the drooping interferes with specific daily activities — driving, reading, working at a computer — or that conservative measures have been tried. Prior authorization commonly takes a couple of weeks or more, and well-documented cases are frequently approved, though approval is never guaranteed. Get the decision in writing before scheduling.
Lower blepharoplasty is almost never covered by insurance, as it is considered cosmetic. Exceptions exist for lower-lid conditions causing chronic eye irritation, ectropion (outward-turning eyelid), or entropion (inward-turning eyelid), but these are different procedures from cosmetic lower blepharoplasty. If you are having a covered upper procedure and an uncovered lower procedure at the same time, costs are typically split — insurance pays its share of the covered upper-lid work, and you pay the full cost of the cosmetic lower-lid work out of pocket.
Out-of-Pocket Costs With Insurance
When approved as medically necessary, upper blepharoplasty follows your standard plan benefits. Your cost depends on your deductible status, coinsurance rate, and out-of-pocket maximum. On a plan with, say, a $1,500 deductible and 20% coinsurance, a $4,000 approved procedure might cost you the remaining deductible plus 20% of the balance — and much less if you have already met your deductible from earlier care in the same plan year.
For Medicare, Part B covers medically necessary (functional) upper blepharoplasty at 80% of the Medicare-approved amount after the annual Part B deductible, which is $283 in 2026 (the standard Part B premium is $202.90 per month in 2026). With the deductible met, your coinsurance on a covered outpatient procedure is roughly 20% of the approved amount. With a Medigap supplement such as Plan G, your out-of-pocket share could be very low after the annual Part B deductible is satisfied. Medicare Advantage plans may instead charge a flat copay for outpatient surgery — check your specific plan’s benefits for the ambulatory surgery or outpatient procedure category, since Advantage cost sharing differs from Original Medicare.
Strategic timing can reduce costs. If you have had other medical expenses earlier in the plan year that have eaten into your deductible or moved you closer to your MOOP, scheduling a covered blepharoplasty later in the year can mean more of the cost is covered. Some patients coordinate a functional blepharoplasty with other planned procedures — such as cataract surgery, also performed by ophthalmologists — within the same plan year to make the most of their benefits.
Factors That Affect Pricing
Surgeon Specialization
Oculoplastic surgeons — ophthalmologists with additional fellowship training in eyelid and facial surgery — sometimes charge more than general plastic surgeons for blepharoplasty. They bring deep expertise in the delicate structures around the eye, including the tear (lacrimal) system, orbital anatomy, and the precise relationship between eyelid position and visual function. Board-certified plastic surgeons with significant blepharoplasty experience are also excellent choices, particularly for combined upper and lower procedures. What matters most is that your surgeon is board-certified and performs this specific procedure regularly — cost differences between well-qualified surgeons are usually small compared with the value of experience and safety.
Anesthesia Type
Upper blepharoplasty can often be performed under local anesthesia with oral or IV sedation, which costs less and allows for faster recovery. General anesthesia — more common for combined upper and lower procedures or for anxious patients — costs more. Choosing local anesthesia when clinically appropriate can reduce both cost and recovery time while maintaining comfort, but the right choice is a clinical decision made with your surgeon and anesthesia provider.
Surgical Facility
Many blepharoplasty procedures can be performed in an accredited office-based surgical suite, which can eliminate a separate facility fee and save meaningfully compared with a hospital outpatient department. Ambulatory surgery centers are typically the next most affordable option, and hospital outpatient departments tend to be the most expensive setting. Ask your surgeon which setting is appropriate for your specific procedure — with safety and accreditation, not just price, as the deciding factors — and how total costs compare at each.
How to Reduce Your Eyelid Surgery Costs
If your drooping eyelids affect your vision, pursue the insurance-coverage route first — even if you also want cosmetic improvement. Getting a medically necessary upper procedure covered can save you thousands off the total cost of having both upper and lower work done. Schedule a visual field test with an ophthalmologist to document any functional impairment, and start the prior-authorization process before booking your surgery date.
For purely cosmetic procedures, get detailed quotes from at least three qualified surgeons. Ask each for an all-inclusive estimate covering the surgeon fee, facility, anesthesia, and all follow-up visits, and confirm what is not included. Some practices offer financing through CareCredit or similar services, sometimes with 0% interest promotional periods — just be cautious about deferred-interest terms, where the full interest can be charged retroactively if the balance is not paid in full before the promotional period ends.
Timing can also help. If you are planning both a medically necessary upper procedure and a cosmetic lower procedure, having them done in a single session can reduce combined facility and anesthesia fees, because you occupy the operating room and use anesthesia services once. This combined approach also means one recovery period instead of two.
A Brief Safety Note
Cost should never be the only factor. Blepharoplasty is surgery on delicate tissue around the eye, and choosing an experienced, board-certified surgeon — an oculoplastic surgeon or a qualified plastic surgeon — is the most important decision you will make. Verify board certification (for example, through the American Board of Medical Specialties), ask how often the surgeon performs the procedure, review before-and-after photos, and make sure the facility is accredited. Be cautious of prices that seem far below the local market, and of “medical tourism” arrangements where follow-up care and complication management are difficult to access. Discuss your full medical history, including dry eye and any prior eye surgery, during your consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does eyelid surgery recovery take?
Most patients return to normal social activities within about 7 to 10 days after upper blepharoplasty. Bruising tends to peak in the first few days and resolves over one to two weeks. Lower blepharoplasty recovery takes slightly longer — often about 10 to 14 days before feeling comfortable in public. Stitches, when used, are typically removed within about a week. Final results may take two to three months to fully appear as residual swelling resolves and the tissues settle. Follow your surgeon’s specific aftercare instructions.
Is eyelid surgery permanent?
Upper blepharoplasty results often last many years, sometimes a decade or more, depending on skin quality and aging. Lower blepharoplasty results are generally long-lasting. Natural aging continues after surgery, so some patients eventually consider a revision, though most are satisfied with a single procedure.
Can I get both upper and lower eyelid surgery at the same time?
Yes, and combining procedures is common. Performing upper and lower blepharoplasty in a single session can reduce total facility and anesthesia costs compared with two separate procedures. Recovery is modestly longer than upper-only surgery but considerably shorter than two separate recovery periods weeks apart. Whether combining is right for you is a clinical decision to make with your surgeon.
What are the risks of eyelid surgery?
Complications are uncommon with an experienced surgeon but can include dry eyes (usually temporary, rarely persistent), difficulty closing the eyes completely (lagophthalmos), asymmetry, visible scarring, bleeding, infection, and, very rarely, vision changes. Serious complications are less likely with high-volume, board-certified oculoplastic and plastic surgeons. Discuss your specific risks during consultation, particularly if you have pre-existing dry eye, thyroid eye disease, or prior eye surgery.
Will insurance ever cover cosmetic eyelid surgery?
No. Insurance and Medicare cover blepharoplasty only when it is functional — that is, when drooping upper lids or excess skin measurably obstruct your vision and you have the required documentation. Purely cosmetic eyelid surgery, and cosmetic lower blepharoplasty in particular, is not covered.
The Bottom Line
Cosmetic eyelid surgery generally costs about $3,000 to $7,000 per eyelid pair without insurance, with wide regional variation. If drooping upper lids impair your vision, insurance or Medicare coverage can reduce your cost to your plan’s deductible and coinsurance — potentially saving thousands. Start with a visual field test to determine whether you qualify for medical coverage, choose between office-based, ASC, and hospital settings based on both safety and cost, and compare surgeon quotes based on experience, accreditation, and all-inclusive pricing rather than price alone. For related procedures, see our guides on cataract surgery costs and breast reduction surgery costs.
Sources
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) — blepharoplasty procedure and cost data
- American Academy of Ophthalmology — blepharoplasty and ptosis
- Medicare.gov — 2026 Part B deductible ($283) and premium ($202.90)
- MedlinePlus — eyelid surgery overview
- American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS) — oculoplastic surgeon information