Is It Safe to Get a Blepharoplasty in the Doctor's Office?

Dear Brook607
There is nothing wrong with having blepharoplasty in an office operating room environment. The key is your comfort level. Personally I favor performing eyelid surgery with my patient awake so I can judge the effect of the upper blepharoplasty. WIth the patient awake the eye can be open and closed and the effect of tightening the eyelid platform skin and its effect on lifting the eyelashes can be assessed. Believe me, this can not be done if the eyelid surgery is perform when the patient is asleep.
On the other hand, if I know that a given person will need a certain level of sedation to be comfortable or if there are heal issues, I will often recommend that surgery be performed at the surgery center. I am on staff at the UCLA Medical Center which is a fantastic resource and provides a level of safety that no office operating room can match. Performing surgery there certainly costs a little more than in the office setting but it is not worth compromising safety.

Blepharoplasty-- upper and lower eyelid surgery, can be done safely in the office with local anesthesia. However, you should talk to your surgeon speficially about your situation, and have him review your medical history to determine if there are any factors to consider.

Hi Brook,
Thank you for your question.
It depends on the exact procedure that is being done. Some procedures can be done under local anesthesia and therefore, can be performed in the office.
However, other procedures may require sedation to make the procedure more comfortable for the patient. This would require a more advanced surgical room with nurses and surgical assistants.
I would speak with your board certified plastic surgeon to be sure your safety isn't at stake here.
Bottom line - do not proceed with anything you do not feel completely comfortable with.
Thanks for your question. Have a great day!