Lidlift Kenneth D. Steinsapir, M.D.
Cosmetic, Facial & Eye Plastic Surgery

Dr. Steinsapir, M.D

Did you know that Dr. Steinsapir is one of the world's leading authorities on optic nerve trauma? This is an injury to the optic nerve that occurs as a result of head trauma. The energy of deacceleration injures the optic nerve behind the eye and can cause blindness or significant permanent visual impairment. Treatment of this condition has been very controversial. However, in the late 1980's ophthalmologists adopted very high doses of corticosteroids as a treatment for this condition. Dr Steinsapir developed an interest in the subject after treating a 5-year old who fell three stories from her bedroom through a broken window screen. At first the girl was in a coma. When she woke up 4 days later, it was clear that she had no vision in one of the eyes. He quickly determined from the medical literature that there were no proven treatment options. Ultimately, her parents were grateful that she was alive and the only apparent problem was the visual loss in the left eye and declined further treatment. While at UCLA for training in oculofacial surgery, Dr. Steinsapir also pursued his curiosity regarding the treatment for optic nerve trauma. Over the course of three years, he conducted experiments and determined that very high doses of corticosteroids used to treat the injured optic nerve were actually toxic and likely was hurting rather than helping the condition. He published his conclusions and as a consequence, ophthalmologists have abandoned this form of treatment.

You might wonder what relevance Dr. Steinsapir's interest in optic nerve trauma has for cosmetic surgery. Very simply: it is the scientific mindset needed to sort through claims and hype. His objectivity, powers of analysis and great experience in cosmetic surgery allow him to wade through the noise and determine what new technologies are right for his patients. This is no simple task given the influence of publicly traded companies to market new technologies and devices to physicians, surgeons, and the public. We have seen some of our most influential talk show hosts become the shills of new cosmetic surgery services only for the public to soon realize that the service does not live up to the hype. It is Dr. Steinsapir's mission to protect his patients from inadequately vetted services and inaccurate claims.

Many of these new services sound too good to be true right out of the gate. Many other new services can only be assessed after a period of experience on the market. This is where Dr. Steinsapir's national and international contacts with other trusted specialists are invaluable. Through his networking with like minded colleagues, interaction at national and local meetings and speaking with industry insiders, he is able to apply is clinical experience and scientific objectivity to assess the value of these new services.

It is one thing to be on the cutting edge, but it is altogether another thing to get cut. Since it is a rapidly changing field, it is very easy to get caught in the trap of wanting that great new service you heard about on the 11 o'clock news. Dr. Steinsapir advises you to be more concerned about the goal rather than how the goal is achieved. It really does not matter if your eyelid surgery is performed with cold steel, electrocautery needle, or a laser. What matters is a thorough presurgical assessment, the proper design and then execution of that surgery. Unfortunately, the public has been forced to practice medicine, which is what you are doing when you go into an office and demand a particular service performed in a particular way. Right or wrong, there will always be an office that will do exactly what is requested. However, Dr. Steinsapir is interested in helping you achieve your goals not selling you a particular service. He brings his considerable experience, knowledge, skills, and scientific objectivity to the practice of cosmetic, facial and eye plastic surgery.