Whether you are considering eyelid surgery for medical or aesthetic reasons, you need to make sure you choose the right surgeon! After all, your eyes are the focal point of your face, so it’s vitally important to have a favorable outcome. Where do you start? Begin with research that involves a doctor that specializes in eyelid surgery — an oculoplastic surgeon.
A general plastic surgeon can be wonderful for certain procedures. However, for a delicate and intricate area like the eyes, it’s crucial to use a surgeon who focuses exclusively on your peepers. An oculoplastic surgeon is a doctor that has devoted an additional 1-2 years of study just on the brows, eyelids & eye sockets. This area of study involves an intimate understanding of the eye. In training alone, they will perform hundreds of eyelid surgeries. After school, an oculoplastic surgeon will again focus on surgery of the eyes. The importance of this is twofold: 1.) this doctor has done so many eyelid surgeries that their technique has largely been perfected. 2.) Because they focus so much on the eyes, an oculoplastic surgeon will continually train & educate themselves on new and improved techniques.
Since the eye area is so delicate, it’s as important to close an incision correctly as it is to perform the actual surgery. The suturing in an eyelid surgery is highly intricate. An oculoplastic surgeon will have the controlled and artful hand to suture with the highest precision. Additionally, the finest sutures should be used for the eyes that only a specialized surgeon might know.
“Plastic Surgeons are like big sculptors carving stone and chipping away to obtain a beautiful result. Oculoplastic surgeons are like diamond cutters, using fine, small, precise movements to get a beautiful result.”
Eyelid surgery is not just about aesthetics, but about function. A poorly performed blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) could result in disastrous complications. An oculoplastic surgeon has the proper equipment to perform the right evaluations of the eye in order to plan a successful surgery.
Remember, results are more important than anything else! So research your doctor and make sure they know the eye area inside and out!
*Dr. Popham & Dr. Thiagarajah are highly regarded oculoplastic surgeons who have created a state-of-the-art private surgical center for both reconstructive & cosmetic patients.