Can I get eyelid surgery on the NHS in Birmingham?
Only if you meet Birmingham and Solihull ICB’s criteria. The ICB funds upper and lower eyelid surgery only where vision is impaired in a relaxed state on a visual field test (reduced to 120° laterally and/or more than 40° vertically), for an eyelid turned outwards or inwards, for lid lesions, for severe congenital drooping, or for a chalazion where other treatment has failed. It states that lower-lid “eyebags” do not affect function or vision and so do not need correction. If you don’t meet the criteria, your clinician can make an Individual Funding Request on grounds of exceptional clinical need. See NHS rules elsewhere.
Where is NHS eyelid surgery done in Birmingham?
The Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre (BMEC), at the City Health Campus on Dudley Road, is one of the largest eye centres in Europe. It has an oculoplastics department for eyelid, tear duct and eye socket conditions and a four-theatre day surgery unit, and most of its eye operations are done under local anaesthesia.
How much does private eyelid surgery cost in Birmingham?
Published prices we found included upper blepharoplasty from £2,650 under local anaesthetic and lower blepharoplasty from £5,995 under general anaesthetic at a King’s Heath clinic, and blepharoplasty from £4,450 at a cosmetic surgery group. The gap between upper and lower prices at the first clinic largely reflects the anaesthetic. See the cost guide for what a quote should include, and our UK eyelid surgery guide for how the operations differ.
How do I check a Birmingham clinic?
Search the Care Quality Commission for the clinic and read its latest inspection, and check the surgeon on the GMC register. Birmingham has both oculoplastic eye surgeons (BMEC runs an oculoplastics department) and plastic surgeons offering blepharoplasty; ask how many eyelid operations they do. The surgeon checklist has the rest.