Who is recommended for eyelid surgery? An ophthalmologist who performs this procedure or a plastic surgeon?

I'm biased but I recommend seeking an oculoplastic surgeon who has a background in ophthalmology but also extensive fellowship training in plastic surgery around the eyes and face.  Oculoplastic or oculofacial surgeons typically perform more blepharoplasty procedures than any other type of doctor and have the highest level of expertise in this area.  ASOPRS.org is a good resource to find a fellowship-trained oculoplastic surgeon near you. 

The short answer is that either of these surgeons can do a great job with eyelid surgery. The key is which surgeon that you see has extensive experience in performing eyelid surgery - many in either specialty do not. Look for a lot of before and after eyelid photos in the office and make sure you get a good feel for the doctor's experience when you go on consultation.

Hello, eyelid surgery is best accomplished by an oculoplastic surgeon (with an ophthalmology background) or plastic surgeon. 

A lot depends on proper training and experience and expertise. An oculoplastic surgeon has done 1-2 fellowship in performing eye plastic procedures (both reconstructive and cosmetic) after ophthalmology residency. Recommend seeing the surgeon's training and before/after photos. Goal should be to use minimally invasive procedures with quick recovery and natural results.

Dr. Kotlus is wrong, in that 'oculoplastic' surgeons may not necessary perform more blepharoplasties than anyone else.The most important thing is to chose a surgeon with excellent results and a lot of experience. Look at his in office photos and speak with his patients.Watch out for danger signs of an 'operated look':-loss of almond shape of the eye, with rounding-'smaller' looking eyesHope this helps,Leland Deane MD FACSNYC and Garden City

Hello and thank you for your question.  The
best advice you can receive is from an in-person consultation.  I always recommend basing this decision on the individual surgeon and their results rather than just their specialty.  The answer to your question will be influenced based on the specialty of the person answering (plastic surgeons will say plastic surgeon and ophthalmologists will say ophthalmologist).  It is very important that you thoroughly research your surgeon before
committing to surgery. It is a good idea to research your surgeon's educational
background, online reviews, before & after pictures, and speak with anyone
who you may know who has had surgery with that surgeon. During your
consultation, make sure that you don't feel rushed and make sure that you have
adequate time with your surgeon and not just their patient coordinator or
nurses. If the majority of your consultation is spent with someone other than
the surgeon, this is usually not a good sign. Make sure you specifically look
at before and after pictures of real patients who have had this surgery
performed by your surgeon and evaluate their results.   The most
important aspect is to find a surgeon you are comfortable with. I recommend
that you seek consultation with a qualified board-certified surgeon who
can evaluate you in person.
Best wishes and good luck.
Richard G. Reish, M.D.  FACS
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

Plastic surgeons, facial plastic surgeons (ENT trained) and oculoplastic surgeons all perform blepharoplasty.  It is best to choose your surgeon based on experience, and looking at their pre and postop pictures.  Excellent surgeons in all 3 specialties can perform the surgery well.

Both plastic surgeons and oculoplastic ophthalmologists can perform excellent eyelid surgical procedures. The skill set of each individual will vary based on training and practice experience. Looking at before and after photos should give you a good idea as to the effectiveness of any particular surgeons technique.

Eyelid surgery is traditionally performed by plastic surgeons. More recently, during the last few decades, there are ophthalmologists getting additional surgical training in treating eyelids who also perform eyelid surgery. They are the oculoplastic surgeons. If you look objectively in a non biased way, there are fundamental differences between the basic training of these two groups. Plastic surgeons are trained in the specialty of surgery and acquire the basic surgical skills before entering a plastic surgery residency. Ophthalmology is not a surgical specialty and procedures around the eyeball are very different than surgery on the soft tissues like the eyelids. Having said that, you can get equally good results if you choose the best surgeon for the procedure. You go by reputation, results and interview of the surgeon. Make sure you ask to see before and after pictures.

While ophthalmologists might perform this surgery, if it were my face I would recommend a fellowship trained Oculofacial Plastic Surgeon, a true eyelid surgery expert. Patients travel to me from great distances for expertise in this area. Please review your surgeon and review their before and after photos ... and have an in-person consultation to be sure you have a meeting of the minds. Best wishes!Damon B. Chandler, MDHarvard-Penn Trained Oculofacial Plastic Surgeon