As an oculoplastic surgeon I operate on a lot of patients for cosmetic improvement of the eyelids such as excess skin, eyebags, undereye hollows, wrinkles around the eye and aging of the eyelid.
If I was a patient in Denver seeking eyebag treatment or blepharoplasty I would try to find a doctor who had certain qualities. These qualities are critical to having a good experience for eyelid lifting and having the best outcome. These qualities in my opinion are what I would seek in any surgeon performing cosmetic eyelid surgery on me in Denver.
Experience
Skill set
Connection
No upsell
Honesty
Kindness
I will go over each one and explain why these six qualities are critical in seeking an eyelid surgeon to perform cosmetic eyelid surgery.
Experience
This goes without saying. You don’t have to be a rocket surgeon to realize that the more of something you do, the better you will be at it. I have performed 1000s of eyelid surgeries. I wouldn’t want someone “gaining experience” on me or “learning”. The eyelids are delicate and surgery on them requires expertise and experience. Ask your surgeon
“how many eyelid surgeries have you done?”
“How many blepharoplasties do in a week?”
A quick way to determine if a surgeon does a lot of surgery is to see how often they operate. Surgeons who operate every two weeks or once a month don’t perform a lot of surgery in general. My partner and I operate two to three times a week. Obviously we do a lot of surgery on the eyelids.
I would say also that an old surgeon is not necessarily experienced. I know old surgeons who have done very few surgeries a year and young surgeons who have performed 1000s of surgeries in a very short time. Experience is not based on age.
Skill Set
This is a critical quality in that surgeons who are skilled will do a better job. It comes down to two qualities: training and innate talent. Oculoplastic surgeons are experts in eyelid surgery. During their training, they perform 1000s of eyelid surgeries and treat complications from eyelid surgery. They have a strong skill set in eyelid surgery for sure. Secondly, some eyelid surgeons are more talented than others. This is where before and after photos of cosmetic eyelid surgery come into play. Ask to see the before and after book or photos for sure.
Connection
This is the feel that you get when you spend time with the surgeon. Is this someone you can talk to? Is this someone who you are comfortable with? Imagine if things don’t go smoothly are you ok with seeing this doctor repeatedly to deal with a complication. This is what I mean by connection. You should connect with your surgeon. The truth is that not everyone connects with everyone…and that is ok. Choose someone you connect with. It is critically important.
No Upsell
Some practices have a “cosmetic surgery coordinator”. This is code for someone who is going to upsell you. This persons goal is to “close the deal” , “upsell services” or “handle the patient”. The short of it is that this is not in your interest and is probably reflective of a practice that is not interested in developing long term relationships with patients but selling surgery. Our practice does not have someone like this. We don’t believe that it is necessary or something in the best interest of the patient. We are not in the business of convincing someone to have surgery or “closing deals”.
Honesty
Cosmetic eyelid surgery is usually very successful but isn’t always. You want to have an honest doctor who tells you that you are not a good candidate for cosmetic eyelid surgery. You want to have an honest doctor who explains a complication to you. You want to have an honest doctor who explains if your goals from the surgery are unrealistic or not reasonable. Honesty is critical. This is hard to sort out because as a patient it is difficult to decipher. A simple question can answer that for you. If you ask the surgeon “Have you every had an uphappy patient?” and they say “No” simply put they are not being honest or never operated before. Every eyelid surgeon in Denver has had an unhappy patient at some point. Everyone. If they can’t be honest with you about that, they most likely are not going to be honest with you about other things.
Kindness
A kind surgeon is going to be there for you if things don’t go perfectly. Even if things do go perfectly, a kind surgeon will help you get you where you need to be if you are having trouble. Kindness is critical. A good way to assess kindness is seeing the office staff and if they are happy or have a good relationship with the doctor. Does the staff seem stressed out when they interact with the surgeon? Does the surgeon make you feel comfortable? What does your inner self tell you?
As can be seen, there are many qualities for a surgeon performing cosmetic eyelid surgery in Denver that are critical. Assessing these qualities and finding the best surgeon FOR YOU is really important. If you are interested in a consultation for cosmetic eyelid surgery, call our office at 303 468 8844. I would be happy to meet with you and see if we are a good fit for each other.