Case Study

Other case studies

This patient initially presented with a heavy brow. This is illustrated by the skin pressing on the upper eyelashes. Often, the patient’s  vision can be affected. In fact, because of this there is a Medicare rebate that can be credited towards the cost of the procedure.

Notice in this photo that she has a very large bulge of the lower lid. One would expect that this skin should be excised and removed. Mostly, as in this case Dr Lanzer only utilised the Erbium Laser which caused the skin to tighten and retract. The laser eliminates the need for cutting into the skin and therefore reduces the risk of scarring below the eyelashes which one sees in the surgical option; where one cuts out the skin.

The light pulse of the laser causes a dermal reaction and  wound healing response and the skin begins to regenerate and heal itself creating increased protein and elastin production thus improving the overall structure to the skin. This new healing explains how an erbium laser can tighten loose and really bulging skin as in this case.

Notice in this before-and-after photograph how dark her eyes appear. Although this may be related partly to the different lighting of the photographs, Dr. Lanzer does find that when the heavy skin is removed from the upper and lower lid, the eyes tend to be lighter and more prominent. The blue texter marks indicate where the procedure was performed. On the upper eyelid, the incision is made in the crease, approximately 1 cm above the eyelashes. The crease varies in each patient but it is important that the incision is mostly in the crease as this is where it is mostly hidden. The blue marks indicate how much skin should be removed. This is based on Dr. Lanzer’s over 20 years of experience in performing this procedure. In some cases, a lot of skin can be removed. In others it is not advisable to do that as one may bring the brow down.

On the lower lid, the small blue dots indicate where the fat is present that will be removed. The lower circular blue line indicates the extent of the laser resurfacing and how far below the eye this would be done.

When performing laser eyelid surgery, the eye is covered the entire time with a laser shield so that there is very low risk of affecting the eye itself. Care is taken to avoid the lacrimal gland on the upper eyelid where tears are formed and the draining ducts on the inner corner of the lower eyelid where the tears are drained from.

QUALITY AT DR LANZERS:

The third area from this list of 10 standards is “Preventing and Controlling Healthcare Associated Infections”.  This standard is set up to ensure that we at Dr Lanzers have and maintain; governance systems for infection prevention, control and surveillance, infection prevention and control strategies, managing patients with infections or colonisations, antimicrobial stewardship, cleaning, disinfecting and sterilising and communicating with patients and carers.

Our nursing staff undergoes training annually by an external agency, Steam Health Consulting.  A qualified consultant with many years of experience comes to our practice and holds a lecture and practical education session.  Each year we cover different topics including the sterilisation process, aseptic technique, hand washing and preventing infections.  The nurses must pass a written test and Dr Lanzer is then provided with a certificate of compliance.

Eyelid surgery or blepharoplasty can have a positive effect on the general appearance of a patient, since the removal of excess skin and fat around the eyes can make the patient appear younger. The way the surgical procedure can affect visible signs of ageing is clearly displayed in the before and after photographs on the Dr Lanzer website, which show potential patients the results that have been obtained from a blepharoplasty at the Dr Lanzer Clinic. Therefore, patients could use the before and after photographs to determine if the treatment could benefit them.

To determine if a patient is eligible for the procedure, the patient should make an appointment at the Dr Lanzer Clinic. During your initial appointment, the cosmetic surgeon will discuss the problem you are facing and lay out possible treatment options. During a consultation, the patient will also be evaluated medically; this to ensure that they can undergo the procedure safely. Even though cosmetic surgery procedures are always accompanied by some risks, same as other surgical procedures, but the Dr Lanzer Clinic aims at providing patients with the best possible service; this does not only include your procedure, but also the aftercare post-surgery. 

View some more of the Eyelid Surgery before and after photos here.