You have two options, both of which are intended to provide you with enough information to make a decision:

Face-to- Face Consultation

If you don't mind traveling or prefer to speak personally with Dr. Meronk, you may schedule an in-office consultation and then return home to consider any recommendations. Consultations generally last 45-60 minutes and are comprehensive.

The cost for a face-to-face consultation is $200, payable at the time of scheduling.

If you later decide to undergo first-time cosmetic surgery in our office within six months, this consultation fee will be deducted from your total charges.

In the case of revisional problems related to prior surgery performed elsewhere, the consultation fee is not deducted from future charges.

To schedule a consultation with Dr. Meronk, call us at 805-983-2455.

or

iConsultation

If traveling presents a limitation, you may request a preliminary screening review through our secure online iConsultation program.

Via an encrypted form, you may fill out a questionnaire and submit up to four photos for Dr. Meronk to review over the Internet. One of our staff will then relay any comments and provide you with pertinent online written and audiovisual explanations and a tentative price quote.

This service is, obviously, based upon limited and incomplete input. Until you are actually examined by Dr. Meronk in our office, our response should be viewed as general information and not specific medical advice.

If you feel comfortable with this level of feedback, you may then elect to schedule your actual consultation and surgery to take place on a single trip. We will provide you with samples of necessary pre-operative forms, consents, and instructions for your review prior to your arrival.

It will still be necessary for you to be examined by Dr. Meronk prior to your operation to establish a firm diagnosis and finalize a specific plan of action. There is, of course, a possibility that you or the doctor may feel differently about your condition and treatment options once you are examined face-to-face.

Your office-based outpatient surgery will then be performed later that same day or on the following morning.

There is no charge to submit an iConsultation.

Be sure to read the Terms of Use and all Disclaimers noted on the iConsultation form.

Learn more

• If you have already undergone a prior Face-to-Face Consultation, you may call us whenever you are ready and we will schedule your surgery date and time. You will not need to report to our Ventura County office operating room until the actual morning of surgery.

or

• If you submitted an iConsultation form and received a favorable reply, it will still be necessary for you to meet with Dr. Meronk for an examination prior to your scheduled operation to confirm your diagnosis and finalize the precise course of action. If pre-arranged, your office-based outpatient surgery will then be performed later that same day or on the following morning. Before then, we will provide you by mail or online access with samples of all necessary pre-operative forms, consents, and instructions for your review prior to your arrival.

As a general guideline, if you live a considerable distance from our office you should plan on checking into your hotel one day prior to your surgery and remaining in the area for 5-7 days following your treatment.

Unless you are traveling with another adult, you should stay in a local hotel that offers a reliable shuttle service to and from our office on the day of surgery (both Marriott hotels provide such service). Because you will remain drowsy for several hours after your operation, taking a taxi is not recommended.

If you live a reasonable driving distance from our office, you may choose to stay overnight at a local hotel, return home the following day if you feel comfortable, and then drive yourself back for your follow-up visit on the fourth or fifth day after surgery.

After surgery, you should plan to remain in your hotel room the rest of the day. You may experience a short period of cloudy memory. Your eyes may ache slightly and some slight bloody discharge is not uncommon.

Beginning the day after your operation, you may be up and around and partake of the local attractions. Be aware, however, that your eyelids will be quite puffy during the first two days and that you should avoid any exertion. Sutures are usually removed 4-5 days after surgery.

Many of our patients travel a substantial distance. To help offset additional costs and in recognition of the added effort, we are pleased to offer the following special prices to those who reside outside of Ventura or Santa Barbara Counties and are seeking first-time cosmetic blepharoplasty. Required pre-payment of fees may be made by credit card.

•

Oxnard is located on the California coast between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, each of which features a busy airport servicing national flights. Oxnard also has its own local airport.

If possible, we recommend that you consider flying into Santa Barbara rather than Los Angeles, as the drive to our office is much less congested, more scenic, and takes about half as long. Many major airlines do not charge extra to fly into Santa Barbara either directly or via a connecting flight.

Since you will need to be in the area for five or six days (beginning with the night prior to your surgery), you should select from one of the mid-range or above hotels. Budget lodging is not worth the slight savings and is not recommended, even if located close to our office.

If you are traveling alone or without a car, we strongly suggest that you limit your choice to one of the two Marriott hotels noted below.

(The following are non-medical establishments, unaffiliated with our office, and unable to provide postoperative attention or advice.)

	Residence Inn by Marriott at River Ridge - suites with separate living areas, full kitchens, and numerous other amenities located in a park-like residential setting
	Courtyard by Marriott - guest rooms and executive suites located just off Hwy. 101
Both Marriott hotels are located about a mile from our office, offer special discounted rates to our patients, and, most important, provide a complimentary van that can shuttle you to and from our office on the day of surgery. Both locations are highly recommended. (Note: Space at special rates is limited, so please contact the hotel for reservations with as much advance notice as possible. Because the Dallas Cowboys use the Residence Inn as their summer training camp, it is not available during July.)
	Hilton Garden Inn - located between Oxnard and Camarillo and just a few miles from our office. While new and reasonably priced, shuttle service is not available (and so this is not as desirable when traveling alone).
	If you desire deluxe accommodations, you may wish to consider the Mandalay Beach Resort and Conference Hotel located six miles from our office on eight oceanfront acres. Shuttle service is not available.

	If you will be traveling with a companion who can drive you on the day of surgery, you may wish to have your visit double as a special vacation and stay in Santa Barbara.
Not only will you find many outstanding hotels and restaurants there, but the selection of world-class attractions and entertainment is large.