What is Oculoplastic Surgery?
Oculoplastic Surgery or Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery is a subspecialty of Ophthalmology. It concerns surgical and medical treatment for disorders of the eyelids and tissues around the eyes, the tear (or lacrimal) system and the bony structure around the eyes (orbit) and its contents.
This branch of eye medicine is delivered by subspecialty trained oculoplastics surgeons, trained in managing structural disorders causing functional as well as cosmetic problems of these tissues.
What are some of the commonest conditions managed by an Oculoplastic Surgeon?
Dermatochalasis – baggy, hooded or heavy upper and lower eyelids.
By our 60th birthday, our upper eyelids — which have by then blinked more than 160 million times. As a result, stretched and heavy skin may have contributed to a “hooding” effect over the upper lid, or sometimes even the lashes. More severe cases of this condition (called dermatochalasis and estimated to affect more than one in six adults over the age of 45), are likely to obscure the upper part of the field of vision. Even in less advanced cases, patients will often describe unpleasant heaviness and a tired forehead - sometimes even a headache - by the end of the day, originating from the constant compensatory attempt at keeping the eyelids high.
What does oculoplastic surgery typically involve?
The most important step in surgery around the eye tissues is a careful assessment by a specialty trained oculoplastic surgeon. This is vital as any unintended surgical manipulation can potentially have detrimental effects on the safety of the eyes. In the first outpatient appointment, an examination of the upper face as well as the eyes is carried out and the range of options will be discussed with you, with the number one priority being the safety of the eyes and that when surgery is offered, a natural outcome can be expected.
Surgery is most often a day case procedure, requiring no overnight stay. Most eyelid procedures can be routinely carried out under local anaesthesia with the use of a mild sedative. General anaesthesia is also readily available upon request. Most incisions (wounds) are hidden in the natural skin folds in a way to ensure minimal or no scarring. A focus on natural results ought to be ensured. Down time varies between 1 to 3 weeks depending on the type of surgery and a careful layout of what is to be expected will be communicated with you before any decision is made. The vast majority of tear duct surgery in our centre is carried out in a ‘scarless’ fashion, using a small camera to access the tear-duct through the nostril.
The overarching principles in Mr Koutroumanos practice are:
- Ensuring an honest and clear alignment of the patient’s wishes and expectations with what can be realistically delivered, and
- Minimally invasive surgery delivering natural results, putting safety first.
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