Training and board certification
Source for all rows: source
| Stage | Detail |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate | Goshen College and University of Iowa |
| Medical school | University of Iowa College of Medicine |
| Internship | Surgical internship, Denver |
| Residency | Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Miami |
| Fellowship | Oculofacial plastic surgery, Albany, New York, under Dr. Orkan G. Stasior |
- Board certified, American Board of Ophthalmology (1991).
- Fellow, American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (1993).
- Fellow, American College of Surgeons/FACS (1996).
- American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, Facial/Dermatologic (1997); Fellow, American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (1997).
- Clinical faculty, University of Arizona Department of Ophthalmology; previously clinical faculty at University of Washington and Albany Medical College.
- Performing Botox since 1988; directed the International (AAO) Facial Fillers and Neurotoxin Physician Training Course for 10 years.
Eyelid surgery work
- Blepharoplasty. Upper-lid incisions follow the eyelid crease; lower-lid incisions are placed just below the lash line or through the conjunctiva; fat is removed or repositioned as needed (source).
- Ptosis. Levator advancement/resection described as "the workhorse repair when levator function is fair-to-good"; Muller's muscle conjunctival resection (MMCR) as an internal, no-external-scar option for mild ptosis with a positive phenylephrine test; frontalis sling for poor levator function, including many congenital cases (source).
- Related conditions treated per her anatomy page: dermatochalasis, orbital fat prolapse, ectropion (canthoplasty/canthopexy), entropion (retractor reinsertion and tightening), and lagophthalmos (gold weight implant/tarsorrhaphy) (source).
The practice site has no dedicated before-and-after gallery page.
Other procedures
Fillers, CO2/fractional/Er:YAG lasers, Botox/neuromodulators, periocular rejuvenation, Latisse, PRP/PRF, and orbital/lacrimal surgery including anophthalmos, orbital tumors, thyroid eye disease, trauma and dacryocystorhinostomy for blocked tear ducts (drduerksen.com).
Insurance and cost
"Upper eyelid blepharoplasty may be covered by insurance when it is functionally indicated," documented by a visual-field test; lower-lid surgery is "nearly always cosmetic" and out of pocket; when combined with ptosis repair the blepharoplasty (skin) portion remains cosmetic (source). Ptosis repair "is often functional rather than cosmetic" and "frequently covered by insurance with prior authorization and photographs" (source). No specific prices are published.
Recovery
- Blepharoplasty. Swelling and bruising peak at 48 hours; most patients presentable in public within 10-14 days; sutures out at 7-8 days; final results, including scar maturation, develop over 3-6 months (source).
- Ptosis repair. Most patients return to light activities within one to two weeks; complete healing takes four to six weeks (source).