Training and board certification
| Stage | Detail |
|---|---|
| Medical school | Siena/Albany Medical College Early Admission Program, entered from high school |
| Residency | Five-year General Surgery Residency, Rutgers University |
| Research | Two years at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, on face and hand transplant cases |
| Fellowship | Three-year Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery fellowship, University of Texas at Southwestern |
| Fellowship | Year-long hand and microsurgery fellowship, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center |
| Additional | Microsurgical training in Taiwan |
- Board certification as printed: he "obtained board certification in plastic surgery and in hand surgery." The page does not name the boards.
- The bio lists reconstructive surgery, hand and upper extremity surgery, facial plastic surgery, skin cancer reconstruction, hand rejuvenation, body contouring and male plastic surgery.
- Named a 2025 Top Doctor by 5280 magazine and Castle Connolly, per the bio page.
- He is married to Dr. Lily Daniali, also a plastic surgeon at the practice.
Eyelid surgery work
- Blepharoplasty. The eyelid surgery page describes treatment of upper lid hooding that can obscure vision and lower lid bags. Surgery is typically done under general anesthesia or IV sedation with local anesthesia; upper blepharoplasty is also offered under local anesthesia alone.
- Upper lid incisions are placed within the natural folds of the lid. The surgeon removes excess tissue, trims fat pockets and tightens the muscles, then closes with fine sutures.
- Lower lid incisions are placed inside the lower lid or within the lower lash line. Excess fat and tissue are removed and the underlying muscles tightened. Upper and lower blepharoplasty are often combined.
- Surgery is outpatient, in the practice's two onsite operating rooms. The eyelid page includes a patient testimonial about Dr. Pulikkottil.
- Brow lift. The brow lift page describes endoscopic, temporal and coronal brow lifts, usually under local anesthesia with a sedative. The temporal lift uses inch-long incisions above the temples and is often performed with blepharoplasty. A Botox brow lift is offered as a non-surgical option.
- Gallery. The blepharoplasty gallery holds 12 cases, with a surgeon filter listing all four LaVie surgeons. Case pages do not name the operating surgeon. One case shows quad blepharoplasty combined with deep plane facelift, facial fat transfer and laser, three months after surgery.
Other procedures
The site lists facelift, neck lift, rhinoplasty, chin and cheek augmentation, ear surgery and facial fat transfer, plus breast and body procedures, hand and nerve reconstruction, med spa, wellness and weight-loss services (source).
Insurance and cost
- The pricing and financing page states the practice does not accept commercial insurance, government insurance, health plans or workers' compensation for any services. All costs of aesthetic surgery are the patient's responsibility.
- Pricing is customized per treatment plan; no eyelid or brow prices are published. Financing is offered through Alphaeon and PatientFi, with terms of 12 to 48 months.
Recovery
- Eyelid surgery is outpatient; patients need help at home for at least the first day and should rest with the head elevated for the first week (eyelid surgery).
- Most patients return to work and daily routines in about seven to 10 days and avoid strenuous activity for at least one to two weeks.
- Eye drops help with dryness or itching.
- Brow lift: swelling and bruising fade by the end of the first week; sutures come out in one to two weeks; return to routines after seven to ten days (brow lift).