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August 6, 2011

Can I visit the United States for Reconstructive Surgery?

Filed under: blepharoplasty,cosmetic eyelid surgery,Cosmetic Surgery,Dr. Steinsapir,eyelid cancer reconstruction,eyelid reconstructive surgery,facial cosmetic surgery,fixing eyelid surgery,oculoplastic surgeon,oculoplastic surgery — Tags: , , , , , , — admin @ 9:32 am

When it comes to reconstructive facial surgery, Dr. Steinsapir has extensive experience with eyelid, midface, and orbital reconstruction including repair of prior unsatisfactory eyelid surgery, removing unsatisfactory facial implants, correcting eye changes associated with thyroid eye disease, orbital and tear duct surgery, and repair of the eyelid after skin cancer removal or trauma.

Many people travel from across the United States as well as internationally to have surgery with Dr. Steinsapir.  He is world-renowned for his leadership in facial cosmetic surgery.  If you are considering traveling to have reconstructive surgery or other cosmetic treatment with Dr. Steinsapir, here are some important considerations that will help you have the best experience possible.

Consult First

Many people who travel for cosmetic treatment feel they should be able to have surgery at the time of their initial consultation.  They want to take care of everything in just one trip, so they may fly or make a long drive to Los Angeles, have their consultation, and have surgery all during the same trip.  This idea may seem appealing because you only have to book a flight and pack your suitcase once, and you may even save a little money—but please reconsider this approach.  Dr. Steinsapir doesn’t believe in performing an initial consultation and surgery at the same time.  Even if you save a few dollars in airfare, in the end this amounts to hasty and high-pressure decisions.  Your choice to move forward in having surgery with the right doctor is important, and it’s not a good idea to cut corners here.

Reconstructive surgery should be something you and your surgeon approach calmly, thoughtfully, and with confidence.  Instead of too much pressure, Dr. Steinsapir strongly advises and encourages you to take the time to make sure you have found the right doctor and right treatment approach.  He wants you to have time to think about the options and be completely comfortable with the proposed surgical plan.

Take Time to Reflect

Consulting now and having surgery later is a sound approach for anyone seeking the right cosmetic treatment with any doctor.  Although admittedly not convenient, slowing down, thinking about your choices and being fully comfortable ensures that you can make a fully informed choice without the pressure of time.  When you consult with Dr. Steinsapir, he won’t pressure you into committing to surgery.  It is better for everyone if you have the opportunity to meet with the surgeon, then have time to think about the issues discussed well before undergoing reconstructive surgery.

Make Thoughtful Decisions

Even if you’re traveling from very far, Dr. Steinsapir will not perform surgery at the time of your initial consultation.  The best surgery is always performed with the utmost of care, consideration, research, and planning.  You should go into surgery comfortable and confident that you have made the right decision.

About Dr. Steinsapir

Dr. Steinsapir is on active staff at the UCLA Hospital and Medical Center at the David Geffen School of Medicine as an associate clinical professor of Ophthalmology in the Division of Orbital and Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery. UCLA is consistently rated the best hospital in the West and ranked third among all medical centers in the United States. Many surgeries are performed on an outpatient basis at the Surgery Center at the UCLA Medical Center. Larger procedures may also be performed on an inpatient basis at the Jules Stein Eye Institute. Dr. Steinsapir addresses a broad array of oculofacial reconstructive concerns.  Contact us today to schedule a consultation, followed by a brief consideration of the more common reconstructive issues that bring people to see Dr. Steinsapir.

October 27, 2010

Having Surgery at UCLA

Filed under: best cosmetic surgeons,Cosmetic Surgery,eyelid cancer reconstruction,eyelid reconstructive surgery,facelift,facelift los angeles,facial cosmetic surgery,fixing eyelid surgery — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 8:23 am

When you are looking for the best facial cosmetic surgery available, consider having your surgery performed at UCLA.  The Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center is world-renowned as as on of the leading medical centers in the world with excellence in patient care, compassion, scientific and medical leadership, and some of the finest physicians in the world who are truly experts in their fields.  You have a choice where you have surgery.  It only makes sense to have surgery at a leading medical center with its vast resources.   You may be surprised to learn that cosmetic surgery with Dr. Steinsapir performed at UCLA may be significantly less expensive that having surgery at an isolated office operating room or surgery center dedicated to cosmetic surgery in Beverly Hills.  These centers simply can’t match the resources of the Outpatient Surgery Center at the Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center.

Dr. Steinsapir offers advanced, personalized cosmetic surgery for Beverly Hills and also performs care at UCLA’s prestigious Jules Stein Eye Institute, where he works as an Associate Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology.  Only a few surgeons in the world are able to perform your facelift or other cosmetic procedures at UCLA, where you can be confident that you are receiving treatment from in one of the best medical facilities in the world.  The UCLA Medical Center prides itself on being patient-focused and compassionate, while offering the best in medical technology and skilled physicians and surgeons.

The new Ronald Reagan Medical Center at UCLA was designed by the world-renowned, forward-thinking architects I.M. Pei and his son, C.C. Pei.  This Medical Center was built to bring you the best in healing, technology, medical care, and comfortable and efficient building design.  With much natural light, gardens, artwork, play areas for children, and private patient rooms with windows, the Ronald Reagan Medical Center can put you at ease.  Cutting-edge medical equipment and high-tech capabilities combined with the Center’s status as one of the first California hospitals to meet the new state seismic standards makes it one of the safest places to receive care.

Dr. Steinsapir’s Expert Care at UCLA

Dr. Steinsapir helps many individuals achieve the results they desire.  At UCLA he plans many specialized treatments for those who need individualized care, including those who need reconstructive eyelid surgery such as a Moh’s Surgery or to perform reconstructive eyelid surgery after an unsatisfactory prior eyelid surgery performed elsewhere.  He is an expert in customizing the best, scientifically proven facial cosmetic treatments and surgeries.

Dr. Steinsapir is honored to have been chosen to teach and practice at the UCLA Medical Surgery Center where the most advanced technology and qualified professionals optimize each patient’s experience.  If you are looking for the best in cosmetic treatment at one of the safest facilities available, consider making Dr. Steinsapir and UCLA part of your treatment experience.  Whether you are seeking a facelift, eyelid surgery, or another of Dr. Steinsapir’s areas of expertise, you can be confident that you are receiving world-class care.  Call us today to find out how Dr. Steinsapir can help you at UCLA.

September 10, 2010

Can I have eyelid surgery if I smoke?

Filed under: blepharoplasty,cosmetic eyelid surgery,Cosmetic Surgery,double fold surgery,eyelid cancer reconstruction,eyelid reconstructive surgery,Eyelid Surgery,irregular eyelids — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 11:35 am

The short answer is, yes, you can have eyelid surgery if you smoke.  Should you smoke?  For your health, you absolutely should not smoke, but you probably already know that.  However, the reality is that quitting is difficult, while many smokers can benefit from eyelid surgery.  With no direct conflict between smoking and eyelid surgery, in most cases we can safely perform cosmetic surgery a smoker’s eyelids.  Decisions about eyelid surgery of course should be considered on a case-by-case basis, but if you are a good candidate for beneficial eyelid surgery and no other medical concerns that complicate your circumstances, then smoking alone should not prevent you from seeking help.

This may be a little confusing given that we recently discussed why a facelift and smoking should not go together.  This is not a contradiction, but a function of the way different tissue areas respond to surgery.  The eyelids have much better circulation than the healing sites of a facelift, and thus they are better able to tolerate the surgery than the facial skin.

This news will come as a relief to smokers who must have surgery for health problems like basal cell carcinoma of the eyelid or severe eyelid ptosis that compromises vision.  Smokers who can benefit from the confidence of an improved aesthetic can also be glad at this news.

As a smoker, why can I have some surgeries but not others?

Why shouldn’t smokers have optional facelift surgery when they can have eyelid surgery?  You should already know that smoking is horrible for your health, and one of the problems is that smoking compromises the healing capacity of the skin. The skin undermining necessary for the facelift can challenge the healing capacity of skin that is compromised by smoking.  In contrast, many eyelid surgery procedures can be performed without challenging this healing capacity.

A Word on Quitting at the Right Time

While it’s okay for most smokers to receive eyelid surgeries like blepharoplasty, canthoplasty, and double eyelid surgery, and while we also support your desire to quit, it’s important to know that you should not quit too close to your treatment.  This is not meant as an endorsement of smoking; we of course want you to quit smoking for your own good.  However, it takes time for the lungs to recover, so when you decide to quit, you should not do so right before the eyelid surgery.

When you quit smoking, your lungs go through a healing process and it will take some time for them to recover.  Your lungs need to be in good shape during your surgery, but your vascular recovery will take some time, as will lung recovery.  Your lungs will require a full eight to twelve weeks to begin their recovery; before then, you’ll have a lot of mucus in your lungs as your body repairs them, and this is not a good time for you to have a surgery.  If you want to both quit and seek eyelid surgery, talk to your oculoplastic surgeon about the timing of these two helpful steps.  He or she can help you determine how long before or after your surgery it is appropriate to quit smoking.  As most eyelid surgery is elective, meaning you can choose when to have eyelid surgery, the answer to this situation is simply schedule your eyelid surgery so you give your lungs the appropriate time to recover in advance of the elective surgery.

How Eyelid Surgery and Quitting Smoking Can Expand Your Options

Eyelid surgery can improve your confidence, aesthetic message, and the way people interact with you.  This newfound confidence and other benefits will broaden your ability to engage in life.

Quitting smoking empowers you by improving your health, helping you to look better and live longer, and boosting your self-esteem by overcoming an destructive addiction.  Even if you are a light smoker or new smoker, the damaging impacts of smoking lead us to encourage you to quit.  By quitting smoking you will be taking one of the most positive steps you can take for your health and the health of your loved ones.  Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for yourself.  Yes, it is more important than any cosmetic surgery we can perform for you.  We urge you to find a way to quit that works for you.

If you’ve decided to quit smoking, congratulations!  We wholeheartedly support you.  Quitting is not easy (otherwise nobody would smoke), but there are resources available to help you quit.  Your internist, family doctor, or gynecologist can often assist you with medical resources for smoking cessation. The State of California has a website of resources to assist and encourage you: www.tobaccofreeca.com

Consult with an Expert in Cosmetic Treatment

We advise you to consult with a cosmetic surgeon who specializes in eyelid surgery and complimentary treatments with natural, balanced results that are tailored to your individual needs.  Dr. Steinsapir is such a cosmetic surgeon in Los Angeles who is esteemed as one of the top cosmetic surgeons in California and beyond.  He specializes in minimally invasive eyelid surgery and other cosmetic procedures that offer fast healing time and can be customized to your unique situation.  If you are a smoker with eyelid concerns, we invite you to a no-risk consultation with Dr. Steinsapir today.  He can discuss both your short-term and long-term treatment options, and help you find an aesthetic solution to meet your goals.  Please contact us to learn more about Dr. Steinsapir’s quality treatment plans.

April 24, 2010

The Best Cosmetic Eyelid Surgery in Los Angeles

Filed under: best cosmetic surgeons,blepharoplasty,cosmetic eyelid surgery,eyelid cancer reconstruction,eyelid reconstructive surgery,Eyelid Surgery — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 11:55 pm

If you are looking for cosmetic eyelid surgery in Los Angeles, consider Dr. Steinsapir for truly impressive results.  Over the last several years, there has been a trend toward making cosmetic eyelid surgery less invasive.  Through these changes, Dr. Steinsapir has been a leader who strives for natural eyelid surgery with minimal downtime.  Dr. Steinsapir demonstrates his leadership as an eye plastic surgeon through the multiple fellowships he’s completed, as an experienced practitioner who believes in putting the patient’s best interest first, and as an associate clinical professor of ophthalmology at the prestigious Jules Stein Eye Institute, Daved Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.  Furthermore, he has published multiple studies on specialized aspects of eyelid surgery and has served as a reviewer for every leading ophthalmology journal.  Dr. Steinsapir has extensive training and experience in both ophthalmology and cosmetic surgery, and to this he adds the care, skill, and vision necessary to give you the most definitive results in eyelid surgeries like blepharoplasty, eyelid reconstruction, and fixing eyelid surgery.

Blepharoplasty Before and After Photo

Blepharoplasty Before and After Photo

A Modern Approach

The eyes are arguably our most important single feature when it comes to our appearance because of both their communicative abilities and aesthetic contribution to the way we look to others.  The eyes are particularly expressive, and even tiny irregularities are perceived by all we meet.  This is why a skilled precision is a necessity for eyelid surgery in particular.  Natural-looking results are crucial to meeting surgery goals.  When it comes to performing eyelid surgery well, Dr. Steinsapir is a perfectionist.  Rather than having physician extenders do his work for him or suggesting “blue plate specials” to those seeking surgery, Dr. Steinsapir works deliberately to take the time to listen to your concerns, measuring and evaluating your features, all of which is needed to create superior results.

There was a time when blepharoplasty surgery was considered a procedure that simply involved removing muscle, skin, and fat.  The unfortunate result was that this often led to oversurgical look, especially when care was not taken to preserve the natural eyelid crease and sometimes even damaging the tissue.  Dr. Steinsapir takes a completely different approach, conserving key features and enhancing others to create great eyelid surgery rather than an over-aggressive result.  Dr. Steinsapir’s support of natural results and minimally invasive procedures means that you can be comfortable that you have found the right surgeon.

Fixing Eyelid Surgery with Care

Dr. Steinsapir is widely respected and renowned for his work in correcting eyelid surgery that’s gone wrong elsewhere.  He understands that it can be traumatic to have unsatisfactory results from a doctor who perhaps was not an expert in eyelid plastic surgery, which is why he encourages you to carefully research corrective eyelid surgery and consult with potential revisional surgions before making a final treatment decision.  Dr. Steinsapir’s conservative methods preserve the eyelid integrity while yielding dramatic results, and he is considered one of the best doctors for fixing eyelid surgery as well as performing reconstructive eyelid surgery.

Reconstructive Surgery to Restore Balance

Dr. Steinsapir is a top eyelid reconstruction surgeon in Los Angeles who treats problems ranging from eyelid ptosis to skin cancer that affects the eyelids.  Do not give up hope if a medical condition, incident, or another cause has left you with eyelids you are dissatisfied with.  Dr. Steinsapir can dramatically improve eyelid concerns by approaching each patient as an individual and custom-tailoring treatment to your unique needs.

Consult with an Expert

We invite you to consult with Dr. Steinsapir to learn more about how his eyelid surgery can help you.  Please peruse his unretouched before and after eyelid surgery photos to see his abilities first-hand.  Call us today to learn more about how Dr. Steinsapir’s specialization in eyelid surgery will make a difference in your own life.

March 15, 2010

Mohs Surgery for Basal Cell Carcinoma of the Eyelid

Filed under: eyelid cancer reconstruction,eyelid reconstructive surgery,Eyelid Surgery,Mohs cancer surgery — Tags: , , , , , , — admin @ 10:06 pm

Skin cancer is very common and for the most part is the result of chronic sun exposure.   The three most common forms of skin cancer include basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and malignant melanoma.  By far the most common one is basal cell carcinoma.  This type of skin cancer is seldom fatal; however, it can cause extensive local destruction and if neglected, it can cause enough damage that leads to life threatening complications.  Fortunately, diagnosed early, it can be treated successfully with a variety of methods.  However, when it involves the eyelid, the challenge is to completely excise the cancer, yet preserve as much of the eyelid structure and function as possible. Mohs’ cancer surgery for basal cell carcinoma of the eyelid, has become the preferred method for accomplishing this task.  This specialized surgical technique, developed by general surgeon Frederic Mohs at the University of Wisconsin, has a very high cure rate for skin cancers like basal cell carcinoma and others.  This surgery focuses on the microscopic examination of the excised tissue, and it has radically changed how eyelid cancers are managed.

Mohs Cancer Surgery Before and After Photo

Mohs Cancer Surgery Before and After Photo

Basal cell carcinoma is the skin cancer that most commonly affects the eyelids, and the lower eyelid is most commonly affected.  Skin cancer has the potential to disfigure the eyelids, and often does.  When the eyelid is affected by skin cancer, the primary goal is of course to remove the immediate threat of the cancer before it spreads or worsens.  Early intervention improves your chances of being cured, and in all cases surgical excision is key to eliminating or at least controlling the cancer.  Of the different types of skin cancers that affect the eyes, basal cell carcinoma is unlikely to spread or metastasize to a distant site, but it does damage local tissue without treatment.

The Importance of Definitive Treatment

The best eyelid skin cancer treatment involves an expert team of physicians.  The traditional method is to have an eye plastic or general plastic surgeon remove the cancers, then have a pathologist examine the edges of the removed tissue through frozen sections.  This method has a high success rate, but there is another team approach with even better eyelid cancer prognosis.  In this method, a dermatologist surgeon who specializes in Mohs cancer treatment excises the tumor or cancer and an oculoplastic surgeon like Dr. Steinsapir reconstructs the eyelid.  This team physician approach enables you to receive the best, most specialized treatment for each component of your surgery.  We typically see at least the following three benefits with this process:

  1. Although both have very good outlooks, the Mohs surgery success rate is much higher than frozen section control.
  2. Mohs surgery reconstruction preserves more of healthy surrounding tissue.  Since the eyelids and tearducts are crucial to the function of our eyes, and because their arrangement is a key part of our aesthetic appearance, conserving as much tissue as possible improves both functionality and aesthetics.
  3. Mohs surgery recovery time is faster because the least amount of normal tissue is removed when the skin cancer is excised.

Reconstructive Surgery after Cancer

Reconstructive eyelid surgery benefits many people who may not initially be aware that their results can be improved.  Often the closure performed at the time of surgery may be the best compromise at the time, the operating physician does not specialize in eyelid reconstruction, or the reconstruction needs to occur in multiple stages.  Benefiting from additional reconstructive surgeries after your cancer is initially removed in no way reflects poorly on the first surgeon.  Given the nature of cancer, the first concern is always to eliminate it, and this often presents obstacles to your functional and aesthetic needs.  Your doctor made decisions based on the dangers you faced and likely chose the best option.  If only one surgeon performed your procedure, you may have had a great specialist in skin cancer removal who did not specialize in eyelid reconstruction.  If your cancer is gone, your first surgeon clearly did a commendable job.

However, this does not mean that you can’t seek a new opinion on whether you’ll benefit from further eyelid reconstruction.  Some may fear that they’ll appear vain or ungrateful if they’re dissatisfied with the face cancer has left them.  This is not the case.  You have survived cancer, and it is fair and understandable that you want to feel, look, and function at your best.  It’s important to understand the healing stages of cancer surgery when considering reconstructive options; while we don’t want to downplay the benefits of a great initial closure, we also recognize that different options open up at each stage during and after healing.  In time, the body repairs the microcirculation in the operated area, enabling deficiencies to be reassessed and corrected or improved with revisional surgery.

Make Us a Part of Your Healing Experience

Often a fresh perspective can vastly improve a situation that previously seemed to have very few options.  Dr. Steinsapir, a Los Angeles oculoplastic surgeon, customizes eyelid reconstruction on an individual basis by combining scientifically proven methods with his artistic vision and extensive experience.  He frequently collaborates with other specialized physicians to deliver the best Mohs treatment possible.  Many also find that after surgery, a second opinion from Dr. Steinsapir is very helpful.  Dr. Steinsapir’s attitude is both positive and realistic; he commends the skill and importance of doctors who do wonderful work in treating skin cancer, and to this he brings his personal specialization in eyelid reconstruction.  A team approach is often the best way to meet all your needs in a complex medical situation.  We invite you to a personal consultation with Dr. Steinsapir to find out how he can be a vital member of your treatment team.  Contact us today to find out how Mohs surgery or reconstruction can be a part of your treatment plan.