What Is Oculoplastic Surgery?
Oculoplastics is a subspecialty of ophthalmology that concentrates on the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the eyelids and the structures around the eye.
This includes eyelid tumors and lacerations, eyelid reconstruction, thyroid eye disease, tearing issues, Botox, and cosmetic eyelid surgery. An ophthalmologist who specializes in oculoplastics has completed a standard ophthalmology residency and a one or two-year fellowship in oculoplastics.
At Eastside Eye Associates, our oculoplastics specialist, Dr. Rand Rodgers, is Harvard trained with over 25 years of experience.
Common Oculoplastic Problems
Tearing
Tearing is often due to eyelid laxity or a narrowing or blockage of the drainage system that carries tears away from the eye.
Probing, done in the office, is often all that is needed to promote tear drainage and relief of tearing symptoms. In rare cases, surgery is needed to correct tearing.
Blepharoplasty
Blepharoplasty is the plastic surgery of the eyelids. As we age the skin around our eyelids can develop wrinkles and cause a heavy, annoying feeling.
A thin layer of cushioning fat surrounds the eye in the eye socket, and also with age, the fat can creep forward, causing the appearance of “bags” under the eye.
During blepharoplasty, excess skin or fat is removed to achieve a more youthful appearance. This can be done as an outpatient under local anesthesia and generally takes less than an hour.
Ptosis (“toe`sis”)
Ptosis refers to the eyelids drooping. There are two muscles in each upper lid, and if one becomes weak the eyelid can droop. Surgery is often necessary if the eyelid obscures vision.
Sometimes ptosis can be a symptom of a more generalized disease, such as myasthenia or even cardiovascular or pulmonary disease. A thorough eye examination can often reveal the cause of ptosis.
BOTOX
We offer BOTOX treatment to minimize or remove wrinkles of the forehead, “crow’s feet” from the corner of the eye, and wrinkles elsewhere on the face.
The treatment is virtually painless and takes just a few minutes. Results can vary and usually last several months. A free consultation with Dr. Shulman is available to see if Botox is right for you.
