Don O. Kikkawa, MD

Heavy hooded eyelids is a family trait. Approaching 50, my lids were beginning to droop to to the point where it affected my peripheral vision at times. Rather than continue to deal with it, I decided to research surgery.

The surgery was only about 30 minutes, done under general anesthesia. I was home the same day. No pain, except for tenderness to touch. Recovery was quick and easy and I am very happy with my results.

Updated on 27 May 2017:
Healing was remarkably fast. Back to normal in no time.

i had very complex medical problem related to granuloma in my lowereyelid after hylorinic acid , failed plephroplasty *2 and last but not least infected gortex graft which was inserted in attemp to correct the lower eyelid . i was in hospital 4 time within 3 months .
i had it removed by dr. kikkawa in san diago 20 min and iam fully recovered within 1 week .
i admire he agree to touch me while 40 other physcians were passing the puck

Irreversible Consequences Following My Eyelid Surgeries with Dr. Kikkawa
I visited Dr. Kikkawa at Shiley Eye Institute for excessive tearing in my left eye. Drs. Granet & Kikkawa recommended multiple surgical procedures: a left DCR for tear duct blockage, bilateral ptosis repair via Levator resection (he actual did a bilateral Mullerectomy) for ptosis in both eyes, and what was described as "extra skin removal" (later identified as blepharoplasty).
Despite my disclosed decade long dry eye diagnosis, blepharitis and an upcoming open hernia surgery, Dr. Kikkawa assured me these combined procedures would:
Require only two weeks of recovery
Not worsen my dry eye condition
Be safe to perform three weeks from my open hernia surgery
Not leave me worse off than before surgery
Not result in feeling the resected muscle after healing
Importantly, there was never any discussion about changing my natural eyelid structure or altering my crease height. Dr. Kikkawa said one procedure would remove "a little excess skin" without mentioning that this would result in fundamental changes to my eyelid appearance and other risks mentioned in an informed consent I was not allowed to see or obtain until three months after the surgery.
These assurances proved dramatically incorrect. I am now two years post-surgery with:
Permanently altered eyelid structure, with eyelid creases cut much higher than my natural ones and rounded rather than almond-shaped eyes
Chronic blepharospasms in my right eye
Significantly worsened dry eye condition that multiple specialists have confirmed is permanent. I now rely on six vials of Systane daily.
Uneven eyelids and bilateral ptosis (drooping) where I previously had it only on one side
Persistent discomfort of eyelids, I was told I wouldn't feel
My recovery required over a year of debilitating eyelid and eye pain, including six months sleeping upright, nightly eye taping, not being able to hold my eyelids open as the day progress and months of medication. While Dr. Kikkawa attributed this to slow healing. For perspective, I healed from the open hernia repair in textbook time without complications--my body heals normally.
Several concerning issues arose during my treatment:

Inadequate Informed Consent
At a second consultation, I received vague responses. On surgery day, I was asked to sign an electronic box for my informed consent without seeing the document. When I requested to view it, a staff member refused, stating 'that's not how we do things now.' Months later, I obtained this consent form and discovered it listed several risks in bold--including permanent changes to eyelid structure and worsened dry eye. He did mention general risks such as bleeding and infection--common to any surgery--but did not address any of the procedure-specific risks listed on the consent form.
The dry eye risk was addressed only by verbal reassurance that turned out to contradict the outcome and published literature.
Misleading Information
When I specifically asked about impacts to my pre-existing dry eye, Dr. Kikkawa stated: "These surgeries will neither help your dry eye nor make your dry eye worse." This statement contradicts medical literature documenting the high risk of dry eye worsening after ptosis repairs and blepharoplasty. When I asked about effects on my eyes, he responded dismissively: "I am operating on your eyelids, not your eyes."
Procedural Discrepancies
The operative record revealed several concerning discrepancies:
I was told I would undergo a Levator resection, but a Muellerectomy was performed instead
The blepharoplasty surgery was not documented in my operative notes at all, just left out.
Other oculoplastic surgeons were surprised these procedures were done together, given my medical history.
When I raised concerns about my prolonged recovery, Dr. Kikkawa attributed it to "slow healing" rather than addressing the surgical approach or outcomes.
As a retired nurse, I know how to ask medical questions and how procedures should be documented, but still found myself with permanent consequences that I was never prepared for. I believe patients deserve to view their consent before surgery and receive full information on risks, options, and recovery expectations based on evidence-based statistics--especially when multiple procedures are being combined.
Moments before entering the surgical suite, Dr. Kikkawa raised his voice--leaving me shocked and pressured to proceed. Immediately after, the anesthesiologist offered medication to relax me, and I could barely respond, still processing the shock of the surgeon operating. I share this hopefully to empower others: even after signing a consent, you have the right to pause or postpone surgery up until the moment anesthesia is administered. Wear your glasses and keep your phone accessible until the last possible moment. Not being able to see clearly or contact someone when it maybe most needed can drastically shift the power dynamic, hope others can avoid.
Dr Kikkawa never took accountability or showed compassion.