Do I Need a Referral to Visit an Oculoplastic Surgeon?

With the quickly evolving healthcare technology and procedures, the oculoplastic subspecialty has proven impactful to many eye patients. Oculoplastic surgery specializes in the heath of eyelids, tear duct, orbit, and other structures near the eyes. The oculoplastic surgeon treats conditions ranging from blocked tear ducts, drooping eyelids, and eye tumors to blocked eye ducts.

Have you been experiencing drooping eyelids and wondering if a referral to seek oculoplastic surgery would be necessary? If you have been to the pharmacy several times and picked a bottle of eye drops with no improvements, keep reading for more information.

What Does an Oculoplastic Practitioner Do?

An oculoplastic expert takes care of eye medical and cosmetic conditions. Primary focus areas are the eyelids, eyebrows, cheeks, tear ducts, and the forehead. If your eye condition is not extreme, ophthalmologists can handle the surgery in most cases.

Common conditions that may prompt referral to an oculoplastic practitioner include droopy eyelids, tear duct problems, congenital disabilities, and injuries. It is also the go-to procedure for cancer around the eye or eye issues due to thyroid problems.

The surgeon may also handle general consultations on problems with your eyes to get other solutions apart from surgery.

When to Visit an Oculoplastic Expert

If your eye problem is too severe to be handled by an optician or general practitioner, you get a referral to an oculoplastic expert. Here are some valid reasons why you might be referred to an oculoplastic surgeon.

• Have a critical eye injury, inflammation, and experienced too much pain
• You are experiencing vision problems medications and lenses are not controlling, such as cataracts and refractive issues
•  Sudden loss of vision partially or entirely
•  Advanced medical conditions such as glaucoma, blood pressure, or diabetes affect your eyesight
• Melanoma or cancer-causing various eye misalignment problems

Is A Referral Needed to Visit an Oculoplastic Surgeon?

If your eye problem is normal, you can visit an eye specialist or a GP. To visit an oculoplastic expert, you may need a referral, if the problem is advanced.

A referral contains the concerns of the doctor that previously handled your case. Your referral letter will include crucial details like your medical history, medications you are on, and the practitioner’s name.

The referral letter’s validity varies from where you got it from. If a GP or optometrist refers you, its validity is for a year. The letter is valid for three months if it comes from another medical specialty.

You do not need a referral if you want cosmetic surgery. Some cosmetic and reconstructive procedures that oculoplastic surgeons handle are brow lifts, eyelid lifts, cosmetic ptosis, and forehead lift.

Key Factors to Consider Before Oculoplastic Surgery

After surgery has been confirmed based on the nature of your problem, you need to be keen on several things. For instance, you should keep off any medications affecting your blood flow.

• Keeping a routine checkup by your general practitioner is necessary to determine if it is safe to undergo surgery.
• Give smoking a break two to three weeks before the procedure to help heal.

Oculoplastic surgery is not very intrusive unless dealing with a tumor or lesions. It means you can go back home the same day. The surgeon may opt for local anesthesia to numb the area they are working on. Optionally, they may go for general anesthesia to put you to sleep during the procedure. You may put on special contact lenses as the surgeon works on your issue for protection.

Best Healing Practices

After the procedure, you may have some bruises, cuts, or swellings. Your surgeon will advise you on the best post-operative care for fast recovery. The following are some of the tips to follow for quick recovery.

• Avoid smoking or drinking before and after surgery to help heal. You may also need to keep off some meds as advised by your general practitioner.
• You can place ice packs on the area worked on to prevent swelling and for pain relief. Put the ice pack in a cloth, such as a towel, to protect your skin and eyes.
• The doctor will require you to take some meds to deal with the pain and keep off infections. Take the meds as per the prescription.
• A follow-up visit is a must. The practitioner will inspect the results and may clean them and remove stitches if present.

After the surgery, you may experience light sensitivity and increased tearing. You can have blurry vision and some pain in the surrounding areas. Do not panic as they are common.

If the pain increases or you notice pus in the post-operative wounds, reach out to your doctor. Immediate attention may prevent the severity of the issue.

Clear All Questions and Concerns about Oculoplastic Surgery Today!

Your eyes are too precious to keep quiet with developing conditions to extreme levels. Oculoplastic surgery deals with the repair of the area around the eyes. Oculoplastic experts deeply understand intricate eye details. They are trained to treat conditions affecting tissues around this delicate body organ.

If you have an eye condition that needs surgery or you simply want to liven up your eye area, contact an experienced oculoplastic surgeon that can discuss all your options and give you optimal results.

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