Training and board certification
Source for all rows: source
| Stage | Detail |
|---|---|
| College | Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina |
| Medical school | Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina |
| Residency | Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio |
| Fellowship | Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, accredited by the AAFPRS, New Orleans, Louisiana; mentor Dr. Calvin Johnson |
- Board certifications as listed: American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery; American Board of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.
- The fellowship covered rhinoplasty, facelift, brow lift and eyelid surgery.
- Assistant professor, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Department of Head and Neck Surgery; she lectures residents and medical students and teaches in the operating room.
- Special interests listed: scar revision, facial skin cancer reconstruction and surgery for nasal breathing.
- She grew up in Concord, North Carolina.
Eyelid surgery work
- Upper blepharoplasty. Treats drooping upper eyelids and can improve obstructed vision and peripheral vision; a heavy brow may also call for a brow lift (source).
- Lower blepharoplasty. Removes puffy bags and fills hollow tear troughs to smooth the eyelid to cheek transition. The page states lower surgery is more complex than upper, especially with fat repositioning.
- Incisions are placed in the upper eyelid crease, inside the lower eyelid or along the lower lash line.
- Eyelid surgery can be done with the patient awake when the case is straightforward and the patient prefers it.
- Commonly combined with brow lift, chin or cheek augmentation and neck lift.
- Brow lift. Sedation or general anesthesia. Endoscopic brow lift through several short scalp incisions, or open brow lift at the hairline (trichophytic) or on top of the scalp (coronal) (source).
Galleries:
- Eyelid surgery: 12 cases, including upper and lower blepharoplasty alone and with deep plane facelift; the provider filter lists "Joshua Surowitz MD & Andrea Garcia MD" (source).
- Brow lift: 9 cases (source).
The site has no separate page for ptosis repair, double eyelid surgery, canthoplasty or revision eyelid surgery.
Other procedures
The site offers facelift, neck lift, rhinoplasty, cheek and chin augmentation, otoplasty, hair restoration and skin resurfacing, plus reconstructive Mohs skin cancer surgery, scar revision and mole removal, and nonsurgical injectables, lasers and aesthetician services (facialplasticsurgerycharlotte.com).
Insurance and cost
- The eyelid page publishes no price. Cost depends on complexity and combined procedures; a personal estimate is given at consultation (source).
- Lower eyelid surgery is typically slightly more expensive than upper; patients who have both together often pay less than for separate operations.
- The eyelid page makes no statement on insurance or Medicare coverage.
Recovery
- Immediately after: mild pain, swelling and bruising; a companion drives the patient home and stays (source).
- Days 2 to 3: ice several minutes each hour, head elevated, avoid salty foods; follow-up visit.
- Back to work: some patients return after 5 days; most take one to two weeks off.
- Days 7 to 14: sutures removed. Makeup about a week after that.
- Following weeks: swelling and bruising resolve; no strenuous exercise until cleared. Screens and reading are limited early on.
- Results: upper eyelid surgery lasts about 5 to 7 years; lower eyelid results can last indefinitely.