Oculoplastics: Your Vision and Eye Health are More than Just About Your Eyes
Many people incorrectly assume that as eye care professionals, we only treat your eyes. In fact, if they adversely impact your vision or eye health, we can also directly treat issues related to your eye sockets, eyelashes, eyelids, tear ducts, and brows. These facial features support and protect your eyes so when these structures are no longer doing their job, due to disease, accident, or aging, a special kind of ophthalmologist called an oculoplastic doctor can diagnose and recommend specialized treatment options.
What is Oculoplastics?
Oculoplastics (pronounced OCK-YOU-LO-plastics), is a subspecialty of ophthalmology and an oculoplastic surgeon can provide plastic and reconstructive surgery that focuses on the eyelids and the structures surrounding the eye, including the tear ducts (lacrimal system), the orbit, and areas surrounding the eyeballs.
The goal of this subspecialty is to improve your vision and your quality of life.
Are you a Candidate for Oculoplastic Surgery?
Age, trauma, disease, or hereditary conditions of your supporting eye structures can impact your vision and eye health. When they do, your eye doctor may recommend you book an appointment with an oculoplastic specialist.
Medical conditions that may result in needing an oculoplastic specialist include:
- Drooping eyelids from aging can affect your peripheral vision
- Eyelids turned in can cause your eyelashes to irritate your eye and result in too frequent tearing
- Eye injuries can shatter eye sockets requiring reconstruction
- Obstructed tear ducts can limit your eye’s ability to lubricate and protect your eyes
- Abnormal growths in eyelids due to cancer or disease can impact vision and may need removal
An oculoplastic surgeon can also help counteract the natural effects of aging, heredity, and gravity, or even excessive exposure to the sun and wind. These natural factors contribute to the appearance of wrinkles and sagging facial features, which can be surgically corrected or temporarily corrected for by BOTOX or filler injections. Cosmetic eye procedures can help rejuvenate your face, giving patients a more youthful appearance, improve their quality of life, and raise their self-esteem.
How is an Oculoplastic Specialist Different than a Regular Ophthalmologist?
An oculoplastic surgeon is an ophthalmologist, or eye specialist, who has completed additional training and education, so they can perform surgeries such as eyelid surgeries, reconstructive surgeries, tear duct surgery, eye socket reconstruction, and cosmetic surgeries and procedures. Oculoplastic surgeons are highly specialized as they not only complete general ophthalmology certification exams, but also additional exams given only to oculofacial plastic and reconstructive surgeons.
Included Surgeries or Procedures
Some of the procedures and surgeries that may be performed by an oculoplastic surgeon include:
| · Lower lid blepharoplasty | · Upper lid blepharoplasty |
| · Double eyelid blepharoplasty (Asian blepharoplasty) | · Ptosis |
| · Entropion repair | · Ectropion repair |
| · 3 Snip punctoplasty | · Hughes eyelid reconstruction |
| · Eyelid retraction repair | · Eyelid tumour excision |
| · Endoscopic brow/forehead lift | · Direct brow lift |
For additional details about these procedures, please read our Eyelid Procedures page.
A Growing Need for Oculoplastics in Vancouver and the Fraser Valley
In Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, there are only a handful of oculoplastic surgeons, all of whom operate primarily in the Vancouver area. For our patients, this means long waiting lists for eye surgery, which can be frustrating and limits their quality of life.
At Fraser Valley Cataract and Laser (FVCL), we saw the need for doctors skilled in oculofacial plastics and reconstruction. We want to give patients the ability to enjoy clear vision quickly and boost up their self-esteem, all without limiting their lifestyle. Because of this, FVCL is excited to welcome our newest associate, Dr. Timothy Ekhlassi, an oculoplastic surgeon, to the FVCL family. Learn about our address and contact details for the following locations:
- Ophthalmologist Surrey services
- Ophthalmologist Coquitlam address
- Ophthalmologist Abbotsford contact details
Introducing Dr. Timothy Ekhlassi, Oculoplastic Surgeon
Starting this month, Dr. Ekhlassi will begin seeing patients in our Coquitlam and Surrey offices, and on occasion, our Abbotsford office.
Dr. Ekhlassi graduated from the University of Miami, School of Medicine and completed his residency training in ophthalmology at Chicago’s John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County, one of the busiest training programs in the United States. He continued on to train in oculoplastic and reconstructive surgery through a prestigious ASOPRS fellowship in Detroit, Michigan. As an ASOPRS fellow, Dr. Ekhlassi focused intensely on plastic and reconstructive surgery of the eyelids, orbit, and face, completing over 5300 surgeries and procedures within two years.
In addition to specializing in oculoplastics, Dr. Ekhlassi is fully trained in general ophthalmology and other surgical procedures such as a cataract surgery. He also has extensive experience injecting BOTOX and fillers. Dr. Ekhlassi is currently accepting referrals for new medical ophthalmology patients and oculoplastic patients.
Learn more about your options with laser vision correction. Learn more about the Lasik MD surrey location details. Laser eye surgery is available at all of our locations at Fraser Valley Cataract and Laser. Book your eye doctor consultation now!
If you need oculoplastic surgery for medical or cosmetic reasons, ask your regular eye care professional for a referral to Dr. Ekhlassi, or contact our office at Fraser Valley Cataract and Laser for more information.
