Meronk Eyelid Plastic Surgery






Insider's Guide to
Blepharoplasty




Chapter 10
Where is Cosmetic Eyelid Surgery Performed? 


The choice of operating facility is up to your doctor and up to you. While blepharoplasty is a delicate and tedious operation, it is not particularly invasive to your body as a whole or overly dangerous to your state of general well-being.

A well-equipped office operating room should work as well as (and in some cases, better than) a general hospital surgery suite primarily equipped to perform operations like gallbladder surgery and total hip replacements. Blood pressure and pulse can be monitored throughout a blepharoplasty whether in an office setting or at a hospital. Besides, if you are afflicted by major medical problems that mandate more comprehensive monitoring and preclude accepting any added risk, you might want to think twice before undergoing cosmetic eyelid surgery at any facility.

If your doctor maintains an office operating room equipped to perform blepharoplasty, this may be your best bet. Why? Because not only will the doctor feel more comfortable working on his or her own home turf, but, assuming he or she is conscientious and does a reasonable volume of cosmetic eyelid surgery, your surgeon will know that the facility is equipped with exactly the right instruments and supplies and that he or she will be assisted in surgery by someone with special training and experience in eyelid surgery rather than whichever scrub technician or nurse (or student nurse!) happens to be assigned to the hospital operating room that day.

From a patient's point of view, it's hard for most hospitals to compete with the comfort and level of personal attention doled out in most office operating rooms. Office operating rooms are staffed by people you may have already met during your consultation. They know who you are, and they treat you as if you were their sole object of attention (because, in fact, at that moment you are). Having already visited your doctor's office, you can more readily imagine yourself as a patient undergoing your procedure. By decreasing the anxiety of the unknown, the overall experience is generally made more positive.

In our experience, blepharoplasty can be performed quite successfully under local anesthesia with moderate oral sedation and analgesia. Some doctors, however, prefer general inhalation anesthesia or deep intravenous twilight sleep (see the next chapter); in such cases where the risk of drug side-effects is higher and the recovery from anesthesia will take longer, you may wish to give consideration to the added security of a large hospital or out-patient surgicenter.

  

Upper Eyelid Surgery
Cosmetic blepharoplasty
for the upper eyelids
Lower Eyelid Surgery
Cosmetic blepharoplasty
for the lower eyelids
eyelid surgery summaries
Eyelid QuickNotes
Compare and contrast
procedure pros and cons
Eyelid Fat Grafting
Solutions for upper and
lower eyelid hollowness
The Case Studies
Audiovisual presentations
narrated by Dr. Meronk
Asian Eyelid Surgery Resource
Double eyelid surgery
Healing and Recovery
After upper and lower
eyelid plastic surgery
blepharoplasty guide - eyelid surgery resource
Blepharoplasty Photos
Photos of patients before
and after eyelid surgery
Blepharoplasty
Introduction to cosmetic
eye surgery with FAQs
Atlas of Eyelid Anatomy
Pictures and diagrams of
lid and facial anatomy
Eyelid Owner's Manual
Articles on eyelid care
and maintenance
Operations Step-by-Step
Cosmetic blepharoplasty
shown start to finish
blepharoplasty news - eyelid surgery reference
Revisional Blepharoplasty
Unsatisfactory results after cosmetic eye surgery
Online iConsultation
Prepare and submit a
secure inquiry online


The Doctor | Subspecialty | Our Office | Patient Comments
Fees | Contact Us | Site Map | Live Far Away?

 

© 2000-2008 Frank Meronk, Jr., M.D.
All Rights Reserved

Disclaimer: Information, observations, and opinions are offered for general reference only and should not be misconstrued as medical advice or diagnosis. Base all treatment decisions solely upon the recommendations of your doctors. By using this site, you signify your full acceptance of our Terms of Use.