Five Mistakes to Avoid When considering an Eyelid Surgery!

You may be in need of a cosmetic eyelid surgery, correction of a droopy eyelid, or even repair of an injured one. The question is: whom to consult? Who is reliable and safe around the eye? Most likely, you might ask family and friends for a recommendation, or search for options on google. The eyelids are protecting your most important sense organ, the eyes. The lids have immense artistic and cosmetic value, and therefore any procedure on or around them, would have a big impact on your vision, comfort, and overall looks. The eyes are the gateway to one's soul, and you would want that gateway to be pristine!

While you do your research to find the best possible way to fix your problems around the eye, here are a few mistakes that you can avoid. These tips are purely based on the most common experiences shared by many of my patients, over my 22-years of exclusive eyelid and peri-ocular surgical practice! 

1) Looking for Online/Free Advice:

Many patients google for eyelid surgeons, and write to them, seeking advice and even treatment. Some of them even schedule an online appointment. Personally, I feel none of these are worth the time and effort. Would you ever call your tailor, and 'describe' your dress sizing? Ofcourse, the tailor is going to say 'you need to visit, so I can measure'! The same is true for eyelid procedures: they are highly measurement dependent, and hence emails, phone calls, or even video consults (with shaky and blurry videos) do not provide any useful data to suggest a plan. It may serve as a starting point, but to predict exact surgical plan and cost estimates based on that is asking for too much.

Solution: Find a good eye plastic surgeon (Oculoplastic surgeon), and consult him/her in person. Yes, it takes time and money, but you are going to receive the most accurate information that is applicable to you!

2) Choosing the wrong specialist:

Well, this isn't a mistake, but an error of omission probably due to lack of knowledge. Patients often feel, that if they have a cosmetic concern (fat bags, hollows, droppy eyelid), they need to consult a dermatologist. Or if the findings are around the eye, the eye doctor should be able to help.

A dermatologist is a good for skin issues, but majority of them cannot offer surgical corrections, especially around the eye. You are likely to be offered some form of non-surgical therapy. Nothing wrong, just that it is unlikely to work.

Similarly, most eye doctors focus on prescribing glasses and operating cataracts. Consulting them for cosmetic concerns around the eye can be a less rewarding, as they do not offer these therapies routinely.

Solution: Surgeries around/outside the eye are best performed by an oculoplastic surgeon. Look specifically for them.

3) Consulting a 'General' Plastic surgeon:

This is by far, the most common misconception among the patients and public at large. If someone you know has a fracture, would you consult a general surgeon? Most likely not. What about heart surgery? You are more likely to consult a heart specialist. Similarly, procedures around the eye are best done by Oculoplastic surgeons. 

Patients simply get carried away by the term 'plastic' surgeon. A general plastic surgeon operates everything from the head to toe.

Compare that to an Oculoplastic surgeon, who focuses only on the region around the eye. Much like the heart surgeon. An oculoplastic surgeon is an eye surgeon, who is further trained to perform plastic surgeries around the eye. It is a more focused training, with the accuracy of an eye surgeon: something you would want to rely on, for your eyes!

Even in the case of road-side accidents where you are likely to get driven to a local hospital for your face injuries, you should insist that injuries around the eye be managed by an Oculoplastic surgeon. Unless you insist, these are likely to be managed by the 'on call' plastic surgeon, who may not have expertise in this area.

Surgeries around the eye require magnification, finer sutures, and different surgical principles that give equal importance to the eye function. These will be best achieved in you insist for an eye plastic surgeon.

Solution: Without dis-respecting any other specialist, humbly (but sternly) ask for an Oculoplastic surgeon!

4) Choosing a Surgeon based on proximity or Price:

Many patients do their research, but ultimately make the mistake of choosing cost/convenience over skill. Worse is, some of them simply shop around for a low quote, and choose that option. Unfortunately, although the name of the surgery may be same everywhere, the surgical result can vary widely based on expertise. It isn't like buying a car, where no matter which city, a VolksWagen Polo would have the exact same specifications. And always remember, in surgery, a low quote does not mean the best deal.

Solution: Choose an expert based on credentials, not because you got a good 'offer', or because he/she practices down the road! Travel across if required, to get the best hands!

5) Assuming that Eyelid Surgery is a Onetime, Lifelong procedure:

Unfortunately, many patients confuse between a surgery and a visit to the beauty salon. Surgery is a medical procedure, which comes with possible risks, and limitations. It involves more than one visit to the doctor, until things heal. 

Looking good is a continuous process, and you will continue to age even after surgery. Therefore, all cosmetic procedures have a life, and one cannot expect them to last forever. Medicine is not an exact science, and results depend upon a lot of factors, including your diet, and other habits (smoking).

Solution: Remember that the one who operated you was a surgeon, and not a magician. Understand and respect the limitations of science.

I hope that you found these tips helpful, and you choose wisely!

Dr. Milind Naik, MDOculoplastic Surgeon,Hyderabad

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