| Posted by Jaelline Jaffe ® , Jul 03,2001,01:21 |
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Hello all,
After a long hiatus from this bulletin board, I have found my way back. I'll be at the conference in Scottsdale (someone must have a great sense of irony to have scheduled that one!), so hope I'll meet some of you there. I tried to search the archives for some insight into a current concern, but found nothing listed. Wondering if any of you have any experience with eyelid surgery. My botox doc thinks I should have this done, to take up some of the very loose, stretchy skin and presumably to help me keep my eyes open better. I am not so sure ... it is stretchy at least in part b/c I hold the lids up so often, esp while driving (so the left eye is much worse). I don't know how tightening the lids will help, if I still need to keep holding them open. This would probably also not help with healing after surgery! It certainly would help appearance-wise, but I don't know if the bruising, swelling, and all the usual dangers that go with surgery make this a wise choice or not.
I actually have a date set for surgery on Aug 6, and if I don't do it then, I won;t have the block of recovery time til next summer ... but I wish I could ask someone at the conference about this before doing it. Any input would be very appreciated!
Thanks, jj
Re: eyelid surgery
There are a few of us on this bb who have had the eyelid surgery
(believe it's called blepharoplasty). This can be a cosmetic procedure
or if the lids are very droopy over the eyes from excess skin, it can
obscure vision in which case it becomes a medical problem. First, are the botox injections giving you enough relief? If so, the doctor's suggestion about getting rid of the excess fat in the eyelids may be
a valid one. If not, you might want to consider a limited myectomy removing some of the muscles around the eye. It just depends on your condition. If they want to cut excess skin, do you want to get some muscle out along with it? If not, I think eventually skin will loosen again and you'll be somewhere back from where you began!! Maybe those
of you who are posting who have had this surgery can comment. I was actually thinking of having the blepharoplasty before I got the blepharospasm but never got around to it. Kind of wish I had then.
I would be sure to get a complete explanation from the Doc and if it
isn't to your satisfaction, I'd see another doc for a second opinion.
Hope this helps. Joanne M. San Diego, CA
Re: eyelid surgery
Joelline, obviously all cases are different and I wouldn't begin to tell you what to do but I do have a few questions as I think that I went through what you did before I did what I should have done in the first place. I don't know to what extent you blepharospasm keeps your eyes shut or spasming but usually the muscles play a key role in that. If Botox is working for you then perhaps just getting rid of some excess skin and a very limited Myectomy may help. If Botox does not work well for you, you probably are far better off going a litle more extensive with the operation and have a full or extended Myectomy done by a Doctor experienced in the procedure. It really is too bad that you could not wait until after the conference because while you are there, you will have a chance to personally meet with some of the best BEB surgeons in the world who will give you a free diagnosis and possible recommendation on what would be best for you. I know that I got my best advice when I attended the last few years. I know that you want to work around the recovery period for obviously personal reasons but if you could put it off for a month without a lot of inconvenience, I would. Just my opinion and please only take it as that. You still have to make the decision yourself and only you know how extensive your condition is and to what extent you will go to get relief. God Bless....Alan
Re: eyelid surgery
This time last year I was seriously considering surgery of some sort. My doctor actually told me to go to the conference, talk to people who had had procedures done, talk to the doctors there and make my decision based on what I found out. I did what he said (I had already made plans to go to the conference anyway) and had a limited upper eyelid myectomy in November. I knew I would need muscle removed. You may not. But several options are available and learning all you can is essential. Good luck with whatever you decide, Jaelline. Virginia in AL
Re: eyelid surgery
Hi Jaelline,
I had an upper limited myectomy done about 3 months ago. You've gotten some good responses from the others. I also agree that if at all possible, you should attend the conference before you have anything done. Talk to the doctors there and ask them your questions. They are the experts in the field. I personally would not have any cosmetic surgery done if I didn't intend to have some functional work done also. It is only my opinion but you have also alluded to it-that the cosmetic correction would be short-lived if some muscle that has been spasming is not removed. The stretching will continue. You might have relief for a time but with the continuation of the existing problem, the droopiness and stretching will present itself again. You do need to allow yourself enough recovery time. Some people do well and can get back to work within a matter of weeks. I wouldn't have been able to. Everyone is different and symptoms are different and vary in severity. Go with your gut-and best of luck with what ever you decide to do. Hope to meet you at the conference. You might call or email the BEBRF and ask them if there are any surgeons that they could suggest that you call (some will return phone calls) and ask some questions if you do decide to go ahead with this. Or get an opinion from a Movement Disorder Specialist. A surgeon will always recommend surgery. That is what they do. Shirley in AR.
Re: eyelid surgery
Thanks for input. Been out of town (and leaving again in a few minutes). Do think I'll wait til after the conference to decide. Agree that surgeons will recommend surgery (uncomf. that this is one of the BIG names in L.A. too). See y'all in BRIGHT, HOT Scottsdale!
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