My slightly hooded eye continued to get worse over the last 5 years. Botox helped lift tthm for several years but at 47 (almost 48) the botox did nothing to lift anymore. After alot of research, I want in for a consult with Dr. Kwitko in Tampa, FL. I started by following him on Instagram. https://instagram.com/geoffreykwitkomd.facs?utm_medium=copy_link It has been 4 weeks since my surgery. I'm thrilled with his work and professionalism. I'll attach photos from start to finish.
I’ve been tortured by my lower eye bags for decades now and even though I’m only 40 they looked like those that a 60 year old would have thanks to genetics! I was always apprehensive to have the surgery because I thought I may end up looking deformed or botched. It got to the point where I was becoming withdrawn and depressed and knew it was time to have the procedure done. I have met with over 10 oculoplastic surgeons over the years and never found the doctor who I had the confidence and trust in to do the surgery until I had my consult with Dr. Kwitko. I had followed him for a year on Instagram and his skills are apparent in the results his patients are getting. I had my surgery on 2/20/20 and only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner! The surgery was only about 30 minutes and I was out with a twilight sedation. There was virtually no pain afterwards except some soreness like being punched in the face. The bruising also looked like I had lost in a fight but that healed quickly! Updated on 24 Mar 2020:
I had basil cell cancer on my lower eyelid. It was removed by Dr. Proper of Advanced Dermatology. Dr. Kwitko saw me just two days later. Within a week he had completed the reconstruction surgery!!!!!! The folks at the Tampa Bay Surgery Center were extremely professional, helpful, caring and didn't take themselves too seriously.. Dr Kwitko is an artist! I am so very happy that I am a patient of his.
Dr. Kwitko is one of the most talented, kind, caring, and patient Doctors that I have had that I have had the pleasure to work with after my x-boyfriend decided to bite my eyelid. Dr. Kwitko fixed my eye lids with such care, concern & was so compassionate to my situation as a Domestic Violence Survivor!! My eye lids are fixed with such perfection that you would NEVER know that my x had bitten my eye lids into pieces. I wish that I could post a before and after picture's so that you could see the time and perfection he takes with each surgery and the pride he takes in his work! Dr.Kwitko personally comes to the lobby to take and greet each of his patients back to the rooms to been seen usually a nurse takes you back. He cares and calls each patient the day after surgery to be sure all is going well and to see if they need anything or have questions. I hope that Dr. Kwitko knows just how much better I now see myself and now have my face back! We are so super lucky to have a Doctor like this in the Tampa Bay Area! I HIGHLYH recommend Dr. Kwitko!
I had pressure and blurry vision in my right eye. Dr. Kwitko did a procedure and the pressure and blurriness are gone and as an added benefit my eyes look great. I had seen another doctor twice before and he could not find the problem. He is a very good doctor and I have complete faith in him. I highly recommend him.
i am a 50 yr old female and was tired of looking tired all the time. i consulted Dr. Kwitko because of his excellent reputation. I had a few friends who had their eyelid surgery done by him and everyone loved their results. He gave me a refreshed look that did not look artificial. People say i look great but not plastic. The office was very helpful and Dr. Kwitko was amazingly helpful and a great surgeon
i went in for inflamed eyelid, Dr.Kwitko saw me for my first consultation and instantly knew what the problem was(my lacrimal gland), I mean with 20+ years experience he had seen it all, but just as a precaution he set me up for a CT Scan to make sure he wasn't missing anything. After all the testing i was set up for surgery, and even though i was a bit nervous with surgery, the staff there reassured me by answering all my questions and laid to rest my concerns. I went for surgery where the gland was biopsied as a precaution and everything came out great! Dr.Kwitkos Bedside manner through the whole process was impeccable and if I had to go through that again i wouldn't go anywhere else, I just have to say how grateful I am to have seen him.
I went to a dermatologist and was told I had a basal cell cancer on my left eyelid, so I wanted an expert to remove the cancer and do any necessary reconstruction and Dr. Kwitko had such good reviews I wanted him to do the surgery. The outcome was great and I am totally happy with the doctor and also his staff.
Dr. Kwitko reconstructed my eyelids, the results were amazing and the doctor and his staff were wonderful. I would highly recommend him. I had a skin cancer on my eyelid which was very disfiguring and Dr. Kwitko removed it and you cannot tell anything was even done. It looks perfect. The office staff was wonderful and very helpful and comforting.
At 52 years old, my eyes were drooping so bad that I often would get comments about how tired I looked. My Irish heredity had a lot to contribute to this condition! I sought the advice of Dr. Geoffrey Kwitko, who was recommended to me by a friend who is in the medical profession. Here is an account of my experience: For my first appointment with Dr Kwitko, I informed him of my concerns - peripheral vision changes and extremely dry eyes. He had his staff give me a test in which I looked directly into a machine and would click on a button when I saw a flash of light - the light was all over the place - a tiny dot in a circular field of vision. I guess I failed the test enough to get the approval through the insurance company to have the "surgery." The Dr informed me that the insurance would only pay if he did it in a series of 4 surgeries. At one point, I asked Dr Kwitko exactly what he was going to do, to which he replied, "Look, you are getting blepharoplasty, ok?" I thought I was getting upper and lower eyelid surgery and was thrilled that it was covered under insurance (I feel really dumb that I did not speak up but that is hindsight!) We scheduled the surgery for February - a series of 4 surgeries in two weeks - where Dr Kwitko would do the lower lids (right, left) and then upper (right, left ) (not sure if I have the exact order right, but the point is that it was 2 weeks of going to the hospital and healing did not begin until the last surgery - so, two weeks of time from work and at the end of that time, I looked as if I got hit by a bus) I took off an extra two weeks of time in order to heal and assist my elderly mother who lives out of state. I still do not know what procedure he performed on my lower lids, but it was not lower lid surgery. I believe it was a procedure to alleviate the dry eyes problem. (Like I said, Dr Kwitko answered me rudely when I questioned what procedure he was going to do on my eyes! ) Also, by requiring 4 separate surgeries, I was required to pay the deductible each time - this seems like a scam to me - but the money would have been well spent if the results were even acceptable. When a person looks at herself in the mirror, it is really difficult to "see" yourself as others see you. Even as my eyes were swollen, my mother could tell they were asymmetrical. Her comment to me was that she didn't think I was going to be happy with the surgery. I did not see this right away because of the impossibility of "looking" at myself. I proceeded to go to my follow up appointments. I did notice that my right eye lid's stitches were not healing as cleanly as my left eye. And on my left eye, there was a "left over" piece of skin - creating a skin bump that looked like Dr Kwitko did not evenly cut off the excess skin on that eyelid. When I mentioned this to him during a follow up, he replied that it was "scar tissue". So, now, I have an extra piece of skin on my left eye and if I close my right eye, you can see the stitch line. great, right? After three months, apparently, the insurance did not cover any more follow up visits to the Dr. Seriously? They charged me and my insurance company thousands of dollars, and then expect me to pay $45 office visit each time to spend 5 seconds with the DR who tells me that I have scar tissue?? After the second office visit that was no longer covered by the original surgery "umbrella" , I did not schedule any more follow ups. Oddly, by summer, I noticed a significant increase in the BAGS under my eyes! I looked older than when I began. When this first started appearing, once again, Dr Kwitko told me that I was wrong and it would be fine. This is when I realized that I did not have anything resembling a lower bleph. Dr Kwitko told me he could do it for $3000. I spent a significant time in denial over the course of this first year. Finally, in November, I sought a second opinion and that Dr agreed that my bags were causing me to look significantly older than my actual age. He recommended surgery. I asked if there were any alternatives and he said that while there were no guarantees, he could place filler under my eyes to reduce the bags. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesnt. It worked "ok"for me (a tremendous relief but this is an expensive solution to maintain - the filler costs about $1000 each time and does not last as long around the eye area as it does in other parts of the face.) It took over a year for the swelling to go completely down and the final results of my UPPER eyelid surgery to settle in. My eyes - which I have always received compliments on - are totally asymmetrical. I now have a marked ptosis in my left eye. I have finally decided to seek help to this problem. I could kick myself for trying to save money and get the original surgery through insurance. It has caused me embarrassment and self-consciousness to the point of depression! As an aside - during the time I was seeing Dr Kwitko, he moved into a brand new facility in an upscale location in South Tampa. Apparently, business is good for him. I am thinking that I should go back to Kwitko, only to see what he has to say for himself. I could understand that this kind of procedure is different on everyone, so maybe he can offer advice and corrective procedure.
It can be totally normal for bruising and swelling to get worse a few days after surgery. If it's getting better that's a great sign. We always worry about post op infections but If that were the case the swelling would get worse and the pain would also be increased. If you have any questions check with your doc.
ectropions are either due to dehiscence of the lateral canthal tendon, scarring of the lid or removal of too much skin after blepharoplasty. All are repairable but require additional surgery. Give your lids a few months to heal and if no improvement consult an Oculoplastic surgeon.
Adjusting lid height can be difficult. I would give it at least another month or two before deciding if further surgery is needed. Of course myesthenia Gravis is always in the back of our minds. See what happens to the lid height in a few months then reevaluate as needed
Graves can be tough getting lid heights to match. The first thing I would do is get a work up for myesthenia Gravis. There is a 5 % association with thyroid disease. If negative I would get a consult with an oculoplasic surgeon for reconstruction to get the lids as symmetric as possible.
The fat pad is due to orbital fat coming forward. The assumetry is striking. The right eye looks abut bigger as well. Any history of thyroid disease ?? I would get a ct scan to evaluate the orbit. The fat can be removed through a trans conjunctival approach.
