CHOOSING THE RIGHT PLASTIC SURGEON FOR YOU

There are a number of plastic surgeons in Pennsylvania. When you are looking for a plastic surgeon, the choices can seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. When you know what to look for, choosing the right plastic surgeon for you can be simple and quick. It all starts with looking over your potential plastic surgeon’s area of focus and expertise.

The first thing to look for on your potential plastic surgeon’s website is their area of focus. If you are looking for eyelid surgery, you don’t want to choose a plastic surgeon whose focus is rhinoplasty or liposuction. Making sure your plastic surgeon devotes his practice to the type of surgery you are interested in will help ensure you are not wasting your time on a surgeon who cannot provide you with the utmost expertise in the field that you are interested in having surgery. Be wary of plastic surgeons that claim to “specialize” in all aspects of the face and body. Try to select a plastic surgeon that has a specific area of focus. This ensures that your plastic surgeon has a deep understanding of what can cause complications and risks involved in performing a certain type of surgery. Plastic surgery can be safe and very rewarding as long as the surgeon performing the procedure has many years of experience performing it. It makes sense that a surgeon can only develop his/her surgical skills by performing a certain procedure repeatedly.

Make sure you choose a plastic surgeon trained in their specific area of focus. Dr. John Lee is a board-certified ophthalmologist and an official American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (2-yrs intensive surgical fellowship) trained oculoplastic surgeon. Dr. Lee focuses his practice on procedures that rejuvenate and enhance facial appearance around the eyes – the most delicate and scrutinized feature of the face. Learn more about the importance of board certification. You deserve a plastic surgeon who is qualified to provide the most aesthetically pleasing with minimal complications from your surgical procedure. So trust your eyes, your most valuable and expressive asset, to a surgeon who has performed more than 7,000 eyelids and brows surgeries! Do Your Research Before Choosing a Plastic Surgeon.

After viewing your potential plastic surgeon’s website, schedule an initial consultation. This will give you an opportunity to gauge your comfort with a surgeon, view his before and after gallery, and get a better idea of what you can expect from your procedure. The best way to gather full information about a plastic surgeon is through a one-on-one meeting. Taking time to do this will help ensure you are in the most capable hands.

Patients can be confused by the terms plastic surgeon and cosmetic surgeon, assuming they are one in the same. They aren’t — the difference is training and board certification. Many doctors perform “cosmetic surgery” and not all have been properly credentialed. Plus, many cosmetic surgeons don’t specialize in one area of the body, instead, they perform surgeries across the body. Dr. Lee is a board-certified ophthalmologist and a fellowship trained oculoplastic surgeon. After his ophthalmology residency, Dr. Lee went on to complete an American Society of Ophthalmic/Eyelid Plastic Surgeon & Reconstructive Surgeons fellowship at the prestigious Wills Eye Hospital. Wills Eye Hospital is one of the top 3 hospitals in the country for treatment of eyes, so you know you are being treated by one of the best oculoplastic surgeons when you schedule your procedure with Dr. Lee. He has chosen to specialize in oculoplastics, a sub-specialty of ophthalmology. Oculoplastic surgeons combine a surgical background as an ophthalmologist with years of plastic and reconstructive training focusing only on the eyelids and the adjacent facial areas. This narrow scope of focus and training gives Dr. Lee an unmatched level of expertise and experience that benefits his patients.

Plastic surgery is still surgery, so there are risks involved. These include excessive bleeding, poor incision healing, infection, reaction to anesthesia, and the like. But eyelid surgery is one of the world’s most popular cosmetic procedures year in and year out for the simple reason that the surgery is limited in scope but delivers excellent results. Eyelid surgery patients usually feel this surgery takes 10 years or more off of their age, and helps make their eyes look alive again. Plus, Dr. Lee’s specialized focus on eyelid surgery and surgery of the brows ensures he has the experience to deliver the results you seek. There are risks with any surgery, but Dr. Lee’s patients feel this surgery is well worth it.

You won’t feel any pain at all during your surgery. Recovery from eyelid surgery is not overly painful, either. Dr. Lee will provide pain medication, but many patients don’t feel the need to use it during their brief recovery.

The timing of eyelid surgery is a totally personal decision. Often it strikes a person one day when looking in the mirror that their eyelids seem to be making them look older. When this time comes can be a factor of sun and environmental exposure, where you live, and even your genes. There is no set age for blepharoplasty, but most of Dr. Lee’s patients are in their 30s and older.

Recovery from blepharoplasty is not difficult. When you return home after your surgery, Dr. Lee will have covered your eyelids with light gauze. We give you a cold compress and eye lubricant. If you’re diligent with the compress, you can minimize bruising and swelling. Pain is not severe and can usually be handled with over-the-counter pain medication. After one week, your stitches will be removed and your eyelid recovery is usually mostly complete. That’s when most patients return to work. You may have some on again, off again light swelling, but this resolves in a few weeks.

Your brow lift recovery depends on the method employed by Dr. Lee. There will be swelling and bruising after your brow lift, and this can migrate down into your cheeks and around your eyes. While unpleasant, this should run its course in a week to 10 days. For the first two or three days after your surgery, you’ll need to keep your head elevated, even while sleeping. Traditional brow lifts involve more numbness and discomfort along the incision. Initial numbness will be replaced by itching that can last up to six months. Often, the hair near the incision will fall out or thin, but normal hair growth should return within weeks or a few months. Endoscopic brow lifts will also involve some numbness due to the tissue manipulation, but there is far less itching than traditional methods. Most patients can return to work within 10 days, but heavy lifting and vigorous exercise will need to wait for around one month. You need to avoid increasing blood pressure into the upper facial area.

See What Our Patients Are Saying:

“For years I was frustrated with the bags under my eyes. They made me look old and tired all the time. So I decided to do something about it. My first step was to learn all I could about transconjunctival blepharoplasty. Then I researched Oculoplastic Surgeons who were very experienced in performing the surgery successfully. After undergoing multiple consultations, I decided to choose Dr. John Lee. He and his staff were very friendly, patient, experienced, and informative. I felt like I was in good hands. The surgery was seamless and performed in his office, which was immaculate. Post-op, I couldn’t be more happy with the results. The bags are gone and I finally look how I feel: young and refreshed!” -Phylicia S.

If you live in or around Philadelphia or Bryn Mawr and are looking for a facial plastic surgeon, please contact John J. W. Lee, MD, FACS to schedule an initial consultation today.