Training and board certification
| Stage | Detail |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate/Medical degree | University of Wisconsin-Madison (molecular biology; MD with research honors) |
| Residency | Ophthalmology, University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center |
| Fellowship | ASOPRS fellowship, University of Minnesota and Mayo Clinic |
- Practiced oculoplastic surgery (reconstructive and cosmetic eyelid surgery, tear drain surgery, orbital disease) at Minnesota Eye Consultants.
- Also practiced at Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, caring for underserved patients and educating ophthalmology residents.
- Awards: Marck Gichert Memorial Award in the Neurosciences (UW-Madison), Michigan Ophthalmology Trainee Career Development Award, American Association of Neurological Surgeons Medical Student Research Fellowship.
- Has served as a reviewer for multiple medical journals and as an editor for the American Academy of Ophthalmology's EyeWiki pages; has written academic book chapters.
Eyelid surgery work
- Upper blepharoplasty. Removes excess skin and fat for an "open, awake, and youthful appearance"; results typically last 10-20 years. Can be enhanced with brow support/contouring sutures at the time of surgery (source).
- Lower blepharoplasty. Addresses loose skin, puffy fat deposits and fine lines beneath the eyes; technique is customized to skin type, elasticity and facial structure (same page).
- Brow lift. Techniques include endoscopic (small hairline incisions, minimal scarring), traditional/coronal (longer scalp incision, more correction), temporal/limited-incision (outer brow, shorter recovery), direct (incision above the brow, visible scar), and internal browpexy (combined with upper blepharoplasty, no added incisions, for mild brow ptosis) (same page).
- Asian blepharoplasty. Either creates a higher "double eyelid" crease or preserves the existing monolid while removing less excess skin, accounting for lower eyelid-muscle attachment and more forward fat in Asian eyelid anatomy (same page).
- Ptosis repair. Tightens one of two eyelid-lifting muscles, selected using an in-office "drop test"; the gallery distinguishes internal and external ptosis repair approaches (source).
Other procedures
Eyelid lesion removal (chalazia, styes, cysts, skin tags) under local anesthesia, xanthelasma excision, tear-drain (lacrimal) surgery, eye-socket (orbit) care, and pediatric oculoplastic care (source).
Insurance and cost
Upper eyelid blepharoplasty for dermatochalasis "may be covered by insurance when it affects your ability to see" (source). Practice-wide, Austin Eye is in-network with "most commercial plans, Medicare, and Medicare replacement plans/supplements," naming Aetna, BCBS, Cigna, Humana, Tricare and UHC as examples; it is not a Medicaid or vision-plan provider (source). No procedure prices are published.
Recovery
- Swelling/bruising. Bruising and swelling around the eyes for 1-2 weeks; swelling may worsen for the first 2 days before improving (source).
- Scar healing. Incision bumps/ridges are most noticeable about 2 weeks after surgery and usually improve within a few months; silicone scar gel or sheets can start about 2 weeks after surgery (same page).
- Final result. Upper eyelid cosmetic blepharoplasty results typically last 10-20 years (source).