Training and board certification
Source for all rows: source
| Stage | Detail |
|---|---|
| College | University of Michigan |
| Medical school | Wayne State University, Detroit |
| General surgery | Michael Reese Hospital, Chicago |
| Plastic surgery | Plastic surgery fellowship, Detroit |
| Added training | Cosmetic surgery, Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital, New York |
- Board certification: the site states "Board Certified Plastic Surgeon" and does not name the board.
- Academic: has held an academic position at the University of Chicago's Department of Plastic Surgery.
- Member, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and the Rhinoplasty Society.
- Over 25 years of experience, per the about page.
- Plastic surgeon for the Illinois/Indiana Chapter of Healing the Children, with missions to Nicaragua and Ecuador; co-founder of Chicago's Esteem Makeover.
Eyelid surgery work
The eyelid surgery page describes:
- Upper blepharoplasty. A fine incision in the upper eyelid crease; fat deposits and excess skin are removed and skin and muscle tightened.
- Lower blepharoplasty. The incision can be hidden inside the lower eyelid, where excess fat is redistributed or removed and sagging muscle tightened. A second option places the incision just below the lash line to remove excess lower lid skin.
- Surgery is outpatient at the practice facility and takes 1 to 2 hours. A board-certified anesthesiologist usually gives monitored sedation; some cases use local anesthetic.
- When sagging brows cause hooded upper lids, the page states a brow lift may be recommended instead of or with an eyelid lift.
The brow lift page describes incisions hidden in the hairline, a single incision in each upper eyelid crease, or a wide incision across the top of the scalp when forehead skin excess is large. Brow lift gallery captions name endoscopic brow lift cases performed by Dr. Epstein.
Galleries:
- Eyelid surgery: numbered before-and-after cases, including combined facelift and lower blepharoplasty cases.
- Brow lift: numbered cases, captioned as performed by Dr. Michael Epstein in North Shore Chicago.
The site has no page for ptosis repair, double eyelid surgery, canthoplasty or revision eyelid surgery.
Other procedures
The site lists rhinoplasty (including ethnic and revision rhinoplasty), facelift, neck lift, ear surgery, chin and facial implants, fat grafting, lip lift, breast and body surgery, and med spa treatments through Transcend MedSpa (maeplasticsurgery.com).
Insurance and cost
- "Health insurance typically does not cover eyelid surgery except in cases where it is medically necessary." When excess upper eyelid skin obstructs vision, some plans pay for all or part of the procedure (eyelid page).
- An ophthalmologist can test for visual field restriction, and a letter of necessity may be written for the insurer.
- The site publishes no prices. It states price depends on technique, anesthesia and facility fees, and offers patient financing (financing).
Recovery
From the eyelid page:
- Sutures out: 3 to 5 days after surgery (the FAQ states 3 to 4 days).
- Bruising and swelling: mild, lasting a few days; bruises can be covered with makeup after 7 to 10 days.
- Light activity: within a few days. Full activities: 3 to 4 weeks.
- Makeup in 2 weeks; exercise in 2 to 3 weeks.
- Sun: avoid direct sunlight for at least 4 weeks.
- Scars fade in about 2 months.
- Patients need a driver and someone to stay overnight, since vision is blurry right after surgery.