Ocularplastic surgeon versus general plastic surgeon for upper & lower blepharoplasty?

Surgeons that focus on the face or eyes, such as Oculoplastic and Facial Plastic surgeons, perform this surgery frequently. Some general plastic surgeons may also perform the surgery frequently. Regardless of who is chosen, it is normal for the surgical site (eyelid and periorbital area) to have swelling afterward. The side of the eyelid that faces the eyeball (palpebral conjunctiva) is directly connected to the lining of the eye (bulbar conjunctiva). This means that blepharoplasty causes swelling of the lining of the eye. This swelling can cause the patient's vision to be blurry. The severity varies from person to person. Swelling is expected to be worse if canthopexy (support stitch) is needed. Canthopexy is sometimes needed to prevent ectropion (droop and outward turning of the eyelid). Significant swelling is called chemosis and happens in around 11% of cases. The expected post-operative swelling often resolves in 3-4 months. For some, it resolves sooner.

I have seen doctors from both specialties do spectacular quality work as well as work that was less than impressive.
In the end, the doctors training is not nearly as important as their experience and overall skill.
If a plastic surgeon does general plastic surgery, and only occasionally does blepharoplasty surgery, an ocular plastic surgeon may be preferable. On the other hand, a highly experienced plastic surgeon, who does a lot of facial aesthetics surgery with blepharoplasty surgery being done on a regular basis that surgeon may be hard to beat. A surgeon should be able to offer and perform the procedure required, including all alternatives, and understand is in context to the rest of the face.
Facial aging doesn’t happen around the eyes without including the rest of the face.
I suggest consulting with doctors from both specialties.
In particular, I highly encourage people to have multiple in person, consultations before choosing any provider for a permanent irreversible procedure.
Having multiple consultations is always in the patient’s best interest from my perspective.
During each consultation, ask each provider to open up their portfolio and show you their entire collection of before, and after pictures of previous patients who had similar characteristics to your own. An experienced plastic surgeon or ocular plastic surgeon should have no difficulty showing you with the before, and after pictures of at least 50 previous patients.
Being shown a handful of pre-selected images, representing the best results of a providers career is insufficient, regardless of what the doctors training is.
Plastic surgeon training is substantially longer and more extensive than ocular plastic surgery training but plastic surgery is also a much broader field.
All procedures done by ocular plastic surgeons were initially developed and mastered by plastic surgeons who been around decades longer than the speciality of oculoplastic surgery.
I personally would feel comfortable having a doctor of either background perform the procedure, and would choose the provider based on their skill and experience rather than training.
In the end, people either know what you’re doing or they don’t.
Both specialties have the appropriate training, but that is only a small part of mastering ones craft.Best,
Mats Hagstrom, MD