Training and board certification
- Undergraduate at Concordia College, Moorhead, MN (St. Olaf College also listed) (bio site).
- Medical degree, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks (bio site).
- Ophthalmology residency, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis (bio site).
- Two ophthalmic plastics and reconstructive surgery fellowships, under Dr. Jeffrey Nerad: University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, and Cincinnati Eye Institute, Cincinnati (bio site).
- Board Certified in Ophthalmology; Fellow, American Academy of Ophthalmology; completed a two-year ASOPRS Ophthalmic Plastic, Orbit and Reconstructive Surgery fellowship (mneye team page).
- Inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha; awarded the Harry Plotke Award at the University of Minnesota Medical School (mneye team page).
- Partner and Attending Surgeon, Minnesota Eye Consultants, PA, since 2010; Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota, since 2012 (bio site).
- Served as President of the Minnesota Academy of Ophthalmology; committee roles with AAO and ASOPRS (mneye team page).
Eyelid surgery work
- Upper blepharoplasty. Removes excess skin, fat and lax muscle from the upper lid (blepharoplasty).
- Lower blepharoplasty. Transconjunctival (inside-the-lid) incision to remove or reposition fat; a sub-lash incision is used when excess skin must also be removed (blepharoplasty).
- Ptosis repair. Her own site's before-and-after gallery labels cases "Levator Aponeurosis Advancement" and "Levator Aponeurosis Advancement with Lid Crease Reformation" (bio site).
- Brow and forehead lift. Gallery cases are labeled "Direct Brow Lift," combined in some cases with "Internal Brow Pexy" and upper blepharoplasty (bio site).
- Reconstructive/cicatricial surgery. One gallery case is labeled "Cicatricial Release with Enduragen Graft" (bio site).
- Ectropion and entropion, described on the practice's reconstructive-surgery page as an outward-turned/sagging lower lid and an inward-turning lid respectively (bio site).
Before-and-after photos, confirmed on her own site, are labeled by procedure (not organized into separate gallery pages): bilateral upper lid blepharoplasty, direct brow lift with bilateral upper lid blepharoplasty, levator aponeurosis advancement with bilateral upper lid blepharoplasty and internal brow pexy, levator aponeurosis advancement with lid crease reformation, and cicatricial release with Enduragen graft (bio site).
Other procedures
Tear duct obstruction repair (DCR, dacryocystorhinostomy); thyroid eye disease management; BOTOX and facial fillers (bio site).
Insurance and cost
"Many eyelid procedures are covered by insurance. An upper eyelid lift is often covered by insurance if vision is obstructed by sagging lids," determined by special testing; financing is available for non-covered services (bio site). The mneye.com blepharoplasty page adds that insurance does not generally cover eyelid surgery done purely for cosmetic reasons (blepharoplasty). No specific prices are published.
Recovery, per her site's FAQ: patients often return to work in 1-2 weeks; upper-lid blepharoplasty/ptosis-repair swelling resolves in 2-3 weeks; eyebrow surgery in 3-6 weeks; lower-lid surgery in 4-6 weeks (sometimes 4-6 months); numbness can last 6-12 months; results generally last 5-10 years (bio site).