Cape Coral Eyelid Surgery doctors

Use of CO2 laser for eyelid surgery was suggested many years ago when the ultra-pulsed CO2 laser first appeared and gained wide acceptance as a good treatment for facial wrinkles. 

Although there was less bleeding and bruising, the time it took the incision to heal was actually longer.  The incision also stayed weaker, longer.  There was almost no difference in down time and the appearance of the final result.

There is also some added risk of using the laser near the eyeball.

Bottom line is that using the laser didn't make much of a difference so it was pretty much abandoned except by clever marketers who are trying to lure in unsuspecting patients by saying they do "the latest thing".  Don't fall for it.  Do your homework and find a board certified plastic surgeon who does eyelid surgery on a weekly basis and you are more likely to get a safe, high quality procedure and a good result.

The most important step in preventing postoperative complications with dry eyes after surgery is not the surgery itself or how much skin is removed.  

Three steps to avoiding dry eyes after eyelid surgery:

1.  The most important step is  a good medical history Medical History.  The surgeon should find out         whether you have any history of dry eyes or have been treated for conditions related to dry eyes.  Do you frequently use moisturizing eye drops.  Have you had Lasik surgery which can decrease the sensitivity of the eyes and place you at risk.  Have you ever been treated with punctual plugs or Re-stasis for dry eye conditions.  Thyroid disease, Sjogren's syndrome can also contribute.  And the most important of all.  Have you had previous eyelid surgery.
2. If your eyes are dry for any of the above reasons it is important that you have a thorough ophthalmologic exam including a slit lamp exam and schirmer tear test prior to any eyelid surgery.  These are important tests to help determine if your eyes are too dry for eyelid surgery.
3. If your are a reasonable candidate based on the History and Physical exam above then seeking out a skilled surgeon who will not remove too much skin and using eye drops (Refresh Plus) for a few weeks after surgery will protect you from dry eye complications.

Follow the above steps and you will not have to worry about the possibility of long term dry eyes

While it is ideal to combine these two procedures to save 2 weeks of recovery time, sometimes this is not possible due to finances.

Heres how to decide which to do first:

1. Eyelids First: If you believe you look tired or note bags and extra skin around your eyes, I would have the eyes done first. This will give you the most bang for the buck! Most of us focus on the eyes when we talk so it is a key are to start your facial rejuvenation.

2. Facelift First: If your neck bothers you because of the extra skin or neck bands and you are frequently pulling back your face and neck skin while looking in the mirror (and noticing how much better it looks) do the face first.

During the consultation I will ask the patient: "What is it you don't like when you look in the mirror"? They will almost always tell me the highest priority problem first. The great majority of time I agree with their order of priority.

When I list the proposed procedures on the scheduling sheet, I will let the patients know they are listed from the most important first to the least important last. That way they can elect how much they want to spend by deleting the lowest priority procedures when they are talking with my scheduling coordinator. This also takes the pressure off of them to commit to every procedure if they can't afford do do so.

Finally, with the current economy most plastic surgeons have reduced their fees, so you may be closer than you think to being able to do both. That extra two weeks of recovery is valuable also and it maybe worth financing part of the cost to avoid doing two surgeries instead of one.