Am I a good candidate for this procedure?
What an examiner checks before eyelid surgery
Candidacy for eyelid surgery rests on physical findings: how the upper lid sits, whether it droops, and what the surgeon sees and measures when they examine your eyes. Before that visit, you can learn how candidacy is discussed and decide what to bring.
Getting ready for an eyelid candidacy exam
No article decides candidacy. The useful move is to learn the questions a surgeon is likely to ask and arrive ready to answer them. The plastic surgery society's page on eyelid surgery candidates is a plain place to start, and the national health service overview of eyelid surgery gives a second view from a public health body.
Ptosis that goes unnoticed until an exam
When you read about candidacy, keep what a source supports apart from what you hope is true. These two sources are a sound start.
- The medical encyclopedia entry on eyelid lift describes the procedure in general terms.
- A paper on undiagnosed ptosis among people considering upper eyelid surgery is worth reading before your visit. Its subject is a drooping-eyelid problem that may not be found until someone is examined, which is one reason an in-person exam matters.
Questions to answer before an eyelid consultation
Before you book a consultation, write down answers to these:
- What exactly bothers you about your eyelids, and how long has it bothered you?
- What have you already tried, such as sun protection and skin care?
- Which medicines, eye conditions and health conditions should the surgeon know about?
At the visit, ask the surgeon what in your exam makes you a good or poor fit, and what they would want to rule out first. Ask about their training and how many of these procedures they do.
Asking whether waiting changes the eyelid decision
Waiting can change the choice. Ask the surgeon whether a delay would cost you anything, and whether anything short of surgery fits your goal. Take the answer in writing if you can, and get a second opinion if the first leaves you unsure. Your answers and what the surgeon finds in your eyelids are what settle the question.