I have lower eyelid that sag down to reveal too much whites of my eye. It is genetic and very ugly. I want to have more narrow almond shape eyes. But I don't want to do anesthesia to be asleep. I only want to be local anesthesia so I stay awake but one doctor I had consult said its not possible. I am willing to travel to find doctor who can do this procedure without full anesthesia. I had procedures with local anesthesia before (lip lift) and I had no pain, complications, or problems.
September 24, 2019
Answer: Yes, it is possible. However, before you sign yourself up for surgery, you better be pretty darn sure that surgery for your issue will actually help you. There are individuals with inferior scleral show who do benefit from lateral canthal surgery and there are many who don't. You need a surgeon for this with true expertise. If you are seeing surgeons who are proposing to do this work under general anesthesia, they are unlikely to be experts in the procedure. That is because the bulk of this work must be performed with the patient cooperative. That allows the surgeon to sit you up during surgery, have you open and close the eyes and assess the effect of surgery. It is very common to reset the supporting suture more than once to get the ideal position. That simply cannot be done under general anesthesia. On the other hand, I seldom do this under straight local. It is very helpful to have light intravenous sedation with local to make the procedure as comfortable as possible. There is no substitute for an actual personal consultation to determine if you are even an appropriate candidate for this procedure.
Helpful
September 24, 2019
Answer: Yes, it is possible. However, before you sign yourself up for surgery, you better be pretty darn sure that surgery for your issue will actually help you. There are individuals with inferior scleral show who do benefit from lateral canthal surgery and there are many who don't. You need a surgeon for this with true expertise. If you are seeing surgeons who are proposing to do this work under general anesthesia, they are unlikely to be experts in the procedure. That is because the bulk of this work must be performed with the patient cooperative. That allows the surgeon to sit you up during surgery, have you open and close the eyes and assess the effect of surgery. It is very common to reset the supporting suture more than once to get the ideal position. That simply cannot be done under general anesthesia. On the other hand, I seldom do this under straight local. It is very helpful to have light intravenous sedation with local to make the procedure as comfortable as possible. There is no substitute for an actual personal consultation to determine if you are even an appropriate candidate for this procedure.
Helpful
Answer: Canthoplasty A canthoplasty or lid-tigthening procedure can be done under local anesthesia only however I do recommend at least having some sedation so that you are comfortable and less prone to moving during the procedure. Sedation does not mean you go fully to sleep or stop breathing as in general anesthesia. It simply makes you unaware of what is happening so that you are more comfortable. Hope this helps!Johnson C. Lee, MD
Helpful
Answer: Canthoplasty A canthoplasty or lid-tigthening procedure can be done under local anesthesia only however I do recommend at least having some sedation so that you are comfortable and less prone to moving during the procedure. Sedation does not mean you go fully to sleep or stop breathing as in general anesthesia. It simply makes you unaware of what is happening so that you are more comfortable. Hope this helps!Johnson C. Lee, MD
Helpful
