When it comes to your plastic surgery procedure, you want to make sure that your surgeon is qualified to perform the operation and that he has sufficient knowledge and experience in his field. Most, but not all, plastic surgeons perform eyelid procedures, but only oculoplastic surgeons have been specifically trained in the art of aesthetic eyelid surgery. In today’s blog, we will talk about the difference between these medical specialties and the importance it has for any patient seeking aesthetic eyelid surgery to improve their appearance.
Plastic surgery: from head to feet
In most countries, plastic surgeons are physicians who have completed a residency in general surgery and have had further fellowship training in reconstructive and aesthetic plastic surgery. In a few countries, a residency in general surgery is not a requirement to become a plastic surgeon. Regardless of their training, plastic surgeons are doctors who specialize in reconstructive and/or aesthetic surgery of the entire human body. To be more specific, plastic surgeons have been trained in macro surgery, meaning surgery of large organs or big anatomical structures. For example, a plastic surgeon who first trained in general surgery, learned to perform surgery in the abdomen, pelvis, and other body cavities. During their plastic surgery training, these surgeons learned to address conditions that affected the hands, neck and lower limbs, such as burns or severe trauma to these areas. If the surgeon decided to build a private practice, he/she probably received further training in aesthetic procedures that involved the face, breasts, abdomen and gluteal areas. In summary, plastic surgeons are “whole body” surgeons, able to reconstruct a hand after a car accident, restore function to a burned area of the body, and perform aesthetic surgery of the face, abdomen, breast and gluteal anatomical areas.
Oculoplastic surgery: from microsurgery to eyelid surgery
Oculoplastic surgeons, on the other hand, are physicians who have trained in ophthalmic surgery and have completed extra training in forehead, eyelid and midface surgery. To become an oculoplastic surgeon, a person must go through six years (in average) of medical school, complete a three to four-year residency in ophthalmology, and conclude with an extra two-year fellowship in ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery – oculoplastic surgery. During ophthalmology residency, the surgeon receives comprehensive surgical training in micro surgery of the eye. An ophthalmologist learns to operate on very small anatomical spaces with microsurgical instruments and the help of a microscope.
When an oculoplastic surgeon handles de delicate tissues of the eyelid and periocular area, he does so with a thorough understanding of their anatomy and fragile constitution. An oculoplastic surgeon is a plastic surgeon who specializes in reconstructive and aesthetic surgery of the eyelids, forehead, and midface. They do not perform surgery below the neck. Oculoplastic surgeons perform thousands of eyelid operations every year and they have the most experience in the art of facial plastic surgery.
Eyelid surgery in Costa Rica
There are more than a hundred physicians who practice plastic surgery in Costa Rica, but there are only a handful eyelid surgeons in our country. Our eyelid specialist completed his American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS) sponsored oculoplastics fellowship in the United States. He has performed more than 3,500 eyelid surgeries with excellent results.
We are located in San José, Costa Rica, at Hospital Clínica Bíblica. Come visit us!
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