What can i say? I had a cyst near my right eye which was growing everyday. I was sent to see a reputable surgeon by my opthalmologist. He examined it and told me i should go see Dr. Rubin who is the best ocular surgeon in Florida. So here i am, 3 months after the surgery completely healed, without any scar! I am absolutely happy that i was fortunate to have met Dr. Rubin. What i liked most was the professional and friendly staff who were very helpful with arranging my appointments. This can only be attributed to Dr. Rubin’s personality, professionalism, his surgical skills, care and concern of his patients. He has a great sense of humor and excellent bed side manners. I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone.
I've known dr Rubin for more than 7 years. Professionally he is one of the most outstanding Opthamologists in south florida. He originally and is still treating me for a long term condition with my eyes which enables me to see while I'm reading or driving. He continues to give me a great quality of life. I would recommend him 110%. In addition to that he has a great office staff that are very accommodating since I travel 30-40 minutes for each appointment. Great doctor.
I had Mohs surgery above one of my tear ducts. I didn't know what I was in for and I was very apprehensive though it needed to be done. Dr. Rubin was my plastic surgeon and I am extremely happy with the final result. Even more compelling is that when I speak of the surgery site (that no one ever notices) to doctors and medical personnel, they are quite surprised and tell me its the best result they have ever seen for this type of surgery. For those scaredy cats, like me, this procedure really was a breeze with no lingering pain or anything like that. It will take time to heal but Dr. Rubin will be following up with you and is concerned for you and your recovery. Dr. Rubin and his staff are wonderful and I am thankful I was referred to them.
I am so fortunate to have found and selected Dr. Rubin as my Ocular Plastic Surgeon. He performed surgery to close a gaping melanoma on my face. In particular, this melanoma extended from my ear to my eye. Dr. Rubin's attention to my needs, physical and emotional, was excellent. I am so thankful for the results of this surgery, thanks to he and his staff.
When my husband passed away 19 months ago I knew there would be many emotional changes in my life. I never expected the physical changes, however. My eyes started drooping to the point where I had trouble seeing out of my right eye. My whole face became old and tired looking. We had been together almost 50 years (married for 48) and he was and is the love of my life. Seeing myself in the mirror made me want to crawl into a closet and stay there forever. My appearance did nothing to help me overcome depression. I realized that if I were going to survive, I needed to change my life around. One of these changes would have to be my appearance. With the encouragement of several members of RealSelf, I had the surgery last Monday. This is the first chance I've had to post because my vision has been very blurry and my right eye is extremely swollen. You will notice in the photos that I have stitches on my forehead. Dr. Rubin removed a cyst at the same time. It seemed foolish to leave it there if I was going to have "beautiful" new eyes. Tomorrow I will be having the stitches removed. I hope that will make me feel more comfortable. Right now, everything is tight and pulling. I am concerned that my eyeballs feel as though someone is pressing on them. The stitches in the outside corners of my eyes are pinching. At this moment, it doesn't look like much of an improvement over my "before" pics, but time will tell. Updated on 2 Sep 2014: I had the stitches taken out today. Still can't close my right eye completely. Doctor says my eyeball is slightly swollen, and he gave me some drops to alleviate the problem. He said it was due to the extensive work he had to do on the right eye. Removing the stitches just felt like little pinches except for the two large stitches at the outer corners of each eye. Those were a bit of a pain, but easily got past it. The Dr said to continue sleeping with my head elevated in order to relieve the swelling, and to use warm compresses and/or ice packs for comfort and to lessen the bruising on my cheeks, whichever I preferred. In my opinion, I still look "older than dirt" and as if I've just lost a match to Apollo Creed. Yo Adrian! Updated on 4 Sep 2014: I'm still sleeping sitting up, but I notice the under eye area is very swollen upon awakening. It does go down somewhat after I apply warm compresses, but this is the second morning it has happened. I follow a "clean" diet, so I'm sure it isn't from anything that I am consuming. Swelling on the left upper eyelid seems to be subsiding as well as the bruising below the eyes. The right eye is still quite swollen, though. I'm not liking the scar on the forehead where the cyst was removed, but the doctor assured me it will heal properly. It looks red and angry. I still feel a tightness and pulling at the corners of the eyes, but fortunately, no itching. All in all, feeling much better than I have since I had the surgery. This is the first day that my vision hasn't been totally blurry. I was able to do a little cooking and not be afraid of chopping off my fingers along with the onions and peppers! Updated on 6 Sep 2014: I actually ventured out of the house today. No camouflage makeup - all natural. But I DID wear big sunglasses! I'm surprised I could do it because yesterday was a really bad day. My vision was so blurry I couldn't even watch TV, forget trying to read anything. My eyes kept tearing and were very swollen so I kept alternating between ice packs and warm compresses. Perhaps that's what made today so much better. My vision was clear, the bruising is much less than previously and I think it's the result of the warm compresses. I am very pleased with the appearance of my eyes so far. I'm so glad I had the surgery. Just look at the difference between the before and after photos! I put a bandaid over the gash on the forehead so it wouldn't look so nasty. My doctor didn't suggest putting anything on my forehead or eyelids, but I've read many reviews where people are using scar creams or gels. Anyone have any suggestions? Updated on 8 Sep 2014: So here we are at 2 weeks post-op and I do not like the way the stitching on my forehead is healing. I addition to that, I have a really bad case of chemoses. As you can see in the photo, left eye won't close all the way and the right eye isn't much better. When I saw the doctor last week to have the stitches removed, he gave me a bottle of Lotemax Drops (Rx) and a tube of Puralube Ointment (OTC). The bottle of drops was so small I just made it through today. It was supposed to relieve the chemoses, but I guess it didn't work very well. I called the office and now have an appointment for Wednesday morning. I spent most of the day sleeping due to the discomfort. I'm happy with the healing of the upper eyelids. I don't imagine the swelling under my eyes will improve until the chemises clears up. Updated on 10 Sep 2014: Dr. Rubin is thrilled with my progress. He kept reminding me that I'm just over 2 weeks post-op, and I've made excellent progress. The skin on the forehead is thicker than the eyelids and will require more time to heal. He said my right eye is about a week behind my left eye, and that the color of the lid should start lightening up. He explained that the *chemosis is due to the stiffness of the lower lids and proceeded to use tape to put them into the proper position (so I looked like I have cat's eyes). I had to remove the tape when I left the office because I had to do some shopping and didn't want people looking at me as if I was weird. Updated on 18 Sep 2014: I was at the doctor's today. Happily, the *chemoisis is almost gone from my left eye. Still hanging out in my right eye, which also still has discoloration on the lid. The good thing is, almost all the swelling has subsided on the upper lids, just some swelling below the eyes. As usual, I'm impatient and expecting instant gratification. It isn't a month yet and I'm expecting to be back to normal. I'm loving the shape of my new eyes so far, so I guess I'll be ecstatic when I get another month or two down the road. The doctor wants me to keep smiling because it pushes the lower lid into place. He said squinting and winking won't do it because they don't involve the muscle that he wants me to stretch. My dogs are loving it because they anticipate something good coming their way when I smile at them! Can't wait to start using eye make-up! Updated on 23 Sep 2014: The *chemosis is practically gone (just a little bit remains in the right eye). Today was the first time that my eyes weren't continuously tearing. When I saw the doctor last week I voiced my concern over a possible ectropian of the right eye, as well as the evident swelling below my eyes. He assured me that these will both subside in due time. I hope he is right because the swelling makes me look as though I still have malar bags. The discoloration of the right eyelid is taking forever to diminish. The scar on my forehead is improving but will take a lot more time because the skin up there is so much thicker than the skin of the eyelids. I really must say that the photos make it all look so much worse than it appears in person. I'm scheduled to see the doctor again next week. I wish I could learn to have more patience. Updated on 6 Oct 2014: So here we are at 6 weeks post op. I was at the doctor's last Thursday. You will notice in the photos that the chemoses is just about gone, but the right eyelid is still ectropion. Dr. Rubin is talking about a medically necessary revision 6 months down the line if it doesn't correct itself by then. I imagine the "medically necessary" phrase means that insurance will cover it and nothing will come out of my pocket. The left lower eyelid is still quite numb, but the tightness and pinching is gone. And those huge bags are still sitting there. This is one item the doctor sidesteps each time I bring it up. He asked which side I sleep on, but I explained that I am still sleeping in a sitting position. So I guess he has no answer for it. With the exception of the bags, it's a tremendous improvement considering where I started. He doesn't want to see me for another 6 weeks. Anyone out there know what the recovery from revision surgery entails? In the meantime, I'm eating clean (no salt, alcohol or GMO products), using warm compresses and massaging several time a day. I could deal with everything else, if I could just get rid of those bags. Updated on 16 Oct 2014: From the looks of these pics, that ectropion isn't getting any better. I guess a canthopexy is in my future. Looking closely, it seems as if the right eye wasn't tacked tightly enough in the outer corner. The left eye could have had a little more skin removed from the upper lid. And I still have those bags under my eyes (which weren't as prominent in the before pics). Considering what I started with, the surgery was worth it, there is an improvement. But I am certainly not happy with the results if it isn't going to get any better from here. Very disappointed. Updated on 10 Nov 2014: After eleven weeks, the angry redness is finally leaving the right eyelid. Not so the bag under the right eye. And the ectropion is ever present. I'll be seeing the doctor on the 20th. I don't know if anything could have been done to prevent this, and I'm not happy about it. Still, it's a big improvement over my "before" pics. Updated on 21 Nov 2014: I am having revision surgery on January 5th. We discussed a few things at my 3 month follow up on Thursday, and I expressed all my complaints. Am not happy with the ectropion eyelid. He insists it isn't really ectropion, but he will call it that for the purpose of the revision surgery. I also pointed out two little "bubbles", one next to each eye, that I didn't have before the blephs, and I want them gone. I circled the one by the left eye in this photo. I hope you can see it. The one by the right eye is even smaller. But I can see them in my mirror, and they show up in the photo, and they bother me. He agreed to excise them as well, and said that might lessen the festoons a bit by pulling up a little more skin. Speaking of the festoons, you will appreciate this Joanne: he said my skin is damaged from being a previously heavy smoker. His opinion is that smoking causes damage to the flow of blood to the capillaries which prevents the skin from healing properly. He said there is nothing more that can be done for the festoons. I asked if a face lift would help, but he said no. The only other option might be laser treatment. So we aren't going to wait for six months to pass. Instead we will proceed on January 5th. He wanted to do it in his office, but I explained it wouldn't be possible because I am vasovagal and have to be heavily sedated at the least. My daughter will be down here that week, so she can drive me there and back. Stay tuned to this station! Updated on 21 Dec 2014: I am now preparing for the revision that will be done on January 5th. As you can see in this photo, there is still ectropion in the right eye. The excision on the forehead is healing slowly, but nicely. I have been told by a trustworthy source that I look much better in person than these photos portray. (And thank you for that!) Still have the festoons/malar bags under the eyes. The eyelids have healed nicely, although the right upper lid is still discolored. Hope this clears up eventually. It's easy to hide with eye makeup, but makes me think the skin is necrotic. Then again, at my age everything is becoming necrotic! Updated on 1 Jan 2015: This is what happens when you let a 20-something do your eye makeup! It WAS fun for New Year's Eve, but I could never walk around like this on a daily basis, although it DID seem to attract a lot of attention. Updated on 7 Jan 2015: The revision surgery was done on Monday, January 5. It was more extensive than I expected it to be. When the doctor came in to make his markings on my face, my daughter was there and expressed her dissatisfaction with a pucker by the left eye. She also questioned a "freckle" on my right eyelid. So these tweaks were incorporated into the ectropion revision. As you can see in the photo, I am very swollen, but there is no bruising (yet). I am staying packed in ice to try and keep the swelling down. Thank you all for the kind words and good wishes going into this "minor" procedure. Updated on 10 Jan 2015: Here are some pics 5 days post-revision. A lot of swelling on upper lid of right eye and malar area below both eyes. At this point I question whether my eyes will be symmetrical when it's all over. My vision is better today, but I'm not feeling confident enough to drive. I'm scheduled to see the doctor on Tuesday, hope he removes the stitches. They are feeling tight and pulling. Using warm compresses and applying ointment several times a day. Updated on 16 Feb 2015: So here we are six weeks post-revision. Words can not express how unhappy I am with the results of the revision. This was done to correct the ectropion on the lower right eyelid. I think the doctor over-compensated and pulled the lid too tight. That's how it feels, as well as feeling thick and hard, and it is an uncomfortable feeling. I don't know if there is a chance that this will soften and relax over time. I keep massaging it with vitamin E oil. There was a small bubble next to the left eye (see prior photos). He removed it, but as you can see, there is a scar almost an inch long, and deep and ugly. It's worse than the scar on my forehead where he removed a large cyst during the original bleph in August (see prior photos). All in all I would say the cure was worse than the disease. I would have been better off leaving it alone. Of course, I don't know if any of this will improve as time passes. I saw the doctor the week after the revision when he removed the stitches, and he doesn't want to see me again until April. I don't know how this will end, but I'm really, really not happy. Updated on 23 Apr 2015: I was at the doctor's office yesterday - 15 weeks post revision. His opinion of the tight, thick sensation is that there is a internal stitch that hasn't dissolved yet. I expressed my unhappiness with one eye tilting up and one tilting down, so he took some photos to compare with previous pics and said we will re-evaluate in another 3 or 4 months. He wants to give it a chance to soften up a little more. You can see in the pics from February 16 (just above this) where there is more of a crease at the corner of the left eye, and NO crease at the corner of the right eye. Didn't bother posting new pic because it hasn't changed in appearance since February.
Though it's hard to draw conclusions from a single image, unlike previously posted responses, it seems to me that some of the tired appearance you noted could be explained by the slight sagging of the lower lids, particularly the outer portion of the lower lids. Technically, this is termed lower eyelid retraction and lateral canthal dystopia. In most patients, the there shouldn't be visible white portion of the eye (sclera) above the lower lid as it crosses the front surface of the eye. Additionally, the lowest point of the lower lid is typically beneath the pupil, while in the image provided the lowest portion of the lower lid is more lateral ( towards the ear). Both of these elements, in addition to the slight dark pigmentation of the lower lids or perhaps it's shadowing, contribute to what some may consider a tired or sad appearance. The upper lids and eyebrow seem to be in excellent position, hence surgery to this area should be avoided. Fortunately, there are treatments both surgical, and non-surgical that can be offered to help address your concerns. I would recommend a detailed, in-person evaluation to better define your concerns, thoroughly evaluate your eyelid region ( forehead through the cheek), and to offer you insight into your condition and treatment options.
