Oculoplastic & Aesthetic Services 895 Canton Road NE Building 200 Marietta, GA 30060 mariettaeye.com 678-784-0246
Hello! Thank you for trusting the Marietta Eye Clinic with your vision. We are passionate about our patients’ vision, and we know that quality eye care isn’t just about what you see. Your looks are greatly affected by your eyelids and the areas of your face immediately surrounding your eyes. Time and gravity can change the way we look and feel about ourselves. Our oculoplastic and aesthetic team, led by one of Georgia’s premier oculoplastic surgeons, Dr. Byron Long can help you achieve your best look.
Our History The Marietta Eye Clinic was founded over 50 years ago in 1967. Over the years, multiple branch offices were added to our original clinic near Kennestone hospital in Marietta. Throughout our history, you and your vision have been our focus. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality and most technologically advanced solutions for your eyes. We now have 12 office locations across metro Atlanta in Acworth, Canton, Cumming, Douglasville, East Cobb, Kennestone, Paulding, Roswell, Town Lake, West Cobb, Windy Hill, Villa Rica – and we’re still growing!
How to Use This Booklet Choosing to have eyelid surgery is a big decision. Dr. Long and his staff share your commitment to looking and feeling great. There are many things to consider, so we created this guide to help you through the process of planning your surgical procedures. We’ve included information that addresses common questions regarding oculoplastic and aesthetics. If you have additional questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us by phone at (678) 405-6553.
Many people get 'heavy' or 'droopy' eyelids as we age. Sometimes there is a genetic component to it, meaning if your parents or grandparents had it, then it can be passed on genetically. Drooping eyelids can be from excess skin or a weak muscle in the eyelid called ptosis. This is where a person cannot open their eyelids fully. Sometimes a person can have both and Dr. Long will determine this at the consultation. The surgery to remove excess skin is called a blepharoplasty. The surgery is performed in our award-winning outpatient ambulatory surgical center in Marietta. Dr. Long likes to do it under general anesthesia so the patient is comfortable. It takes approximately 40 minutes to do both upper eyelids. If you have ptosis, which is a weakened muscle in the eyelid, Dr. Long can tighten the muscle in eyelid at the same time. Most people want to know if this would be a cosmetic procedure or covered by their insurance. Generally, for blepharoplasty to be covered the extra skin needs to be resting on the eyelashes. Dr. Long and his team will perform a visual field test on you to see how much of your vision is being obstructed by the eyelids. Each insurance company has its own criteria and Dr. Long's surgery scheduler will submit this information for pre-certification.
What Happens at the Consultation Dr. Long will exam you and determine what surgical procedures will correct your needs. If you feel like it is bothering your vision, then the technician will perform a visual field test on you to determine how much the peripheral vision is blocked. Each insurance company has its own requirement to cover the procedure. They also look at digital photos that we take, generally the skin must be resting on the lashes for it to be covered by your insurance. Dr. Long will also check the health of the eye surface to make sure that the eyes are healthy enough for the procedure. If a patient has severe dry eyes, they are not good candidates for eyelid surgery. You will not be dilated during the consultation exam. Dr. Long will discuss the procedure in detail with you at the consultation. There is a detailed description of it in this packet also.
Other Procedures Other procedures that can be done at the time of your upper eyelid surgery. Lower eyelid blepharoplasty can improve the appearance of bags and wrinkles of the lower eyelids. Dr. Long does the surgery several different ways depending on what each patient needs. Most commonly he makes a hidden incision on the inside of the lower eyelid and removes fat that is causing the eyelid bags. He then uses a fraxel laser to tighten the skin of the lower eyelid. If the patient has a lot of skin or loose eyelids. Dr. Long will recommend a different technique to get the results you desire. The lower eye blepharoplasty is a cosmetic procedure, and you will be quoted on the cost of it at the time of your consultation. Once you and Dr. Long have made a decision on surgery then you will meet Tina, Dr. Long’s surgery scheduler. She will check on the insurance coverage and quote you on any cosmetic surgery that you desire. He does the surgery on Fridays in the surgery center in the same building that you see him for the consultation.
Surgical Procedure Dr. Long will see you in the preoperative area of our surgery center. He will examine your eyelids with you sitting up. The nurse will then lay you flat on a special stretcher that has a head extension, so you are comfortable. He then marks your natural eyelid crease. Then, he gets you to open and close your eyes. Allowing him to mark how much skin can be removed safely with you still being able to close your eyes. They will take you to the operating room where the anesthesiologist will give you Propofol or “Happy Juice”, as we like to call it, that will put you to sleep. They then put a tube called a LMA in the back of your throat to help you breathe. During the procedure you are usually asleep for about 40 minutes. Dr. Long makes surgical incisions in the natural crease of the eyelid so it is hidden. The amount of skin to be removed is measured before the surgery with the patient laying down so he can measure how much can be safely taken to not affect the closure of the eyelid especially at night. If the patient has any fatty tissue, then Dr. Long removes it with a laser device. The incision is closed with a non-dissolving suture that will be removed 7-10 days after the surgery. The surgery is done on a Friday and the sutures are removed 7 to 10 days later, if you are healed completely. Sometimes the sutures are left in longer if you are not healed completely.
Surgical Procedure Continued For the first three days after the surgery Dr. Long likes you to place iced compresses on the eyelid for 20 minutes each hour while you are awake. Also, elevating your head in a recliner or adjustable bed helps reduce swelling. Most people just use a combination of extra strength Tylenol/Motrin for post op discomfort. You usually have swelling and bruising that goes down into the cheek area. Usually this clears in about 2 weeks but may last up to a month. You can put make up on the lower eyelids immediately. Dermablend is a thick make up available at Ulta that does the best at covering the bruising. You can place make up on the upper eyelid 2 weeks after the surgery. At the same time as the upper eyelid surgery, if the patient wishes and is a good candidate, the lower eyelid blepharoplasty can be performed. Dr. Long does the procedure in many different ways depending on what each individual patient needs. If the patient has puffy lower eyelids, then he may be able to make a hidden incision inside the lower eyelid and use the Fraxel Co2 laser to tighten the skin and lessens wrinkles. If the patient wishes, he can do the Co2 laser on the entire face. Sometimes if the patient has a lot of skin or a loose eyelid, he will make an incision just below the eyelashes and remove extra skin and fatty tissue. Dissolving sutures are then placed re-approximating the skin edges. There is usually bruising from this procedure also. If he does laser resurfacing, then the eyelid skin may stay pink for about 2 weeks. The lower eyelids are always a cosmetic procedure and Dr. Long’s surgery scheduler will quote you on the cost of this if you are interested in this procedure.
Other Surgeries Other surgeries Dr. Long performs are Entropion/Ectropion repair where the eyelid turns in or out. Also, he removes growths on the eyelid. If they are cancerous, he can remove them and repair the area to make it functional and aesthetically pleasing. He does work with local Moh’s surgeons where they will remove the cancerous lesions around the eye and refer you to him to repair the defects. Other in office procedures by Dr. Long: -Botox injection most commonly between the eyebrows, forehead, and crow's feet -Fillers injections in the cheeks -Folds around nose, mouth, and lips
What to expect after surgery The eyelid will swell and turn a purplish color. This swelling and bruising then works down from each corner to the lower eyelids and cheek area. Most of it is gone after 2-3 weeks. Pain is minimal and usually taken care of with a combination of extra strength Tylenol and Motrin. You will be putting iced compresses on the eyelids 20 minutes each hour while you are awake. The vision can be blurry from the antibiotic ointment that you will place over the sutures. For any swelling where you can't open the eyelid, bleeding that won't stop after holding pressure on it for 10 minutes or severe pain call 678-784-0246 during business hours and 770-427-8111 after hours.
Hello, Thank you for choosing Marietta Eye Clinic! You are receiving this correspondence via email and a physical copy because you have an upcoming surgical consultation with Dr. Long. At the end of this booklet are medical forms that will need to be filled out prior to your visit to help keep your appointment running smoothly and on time. You can also locate these forms on our website under Patient Information. If you have questions before the visit, please feel free to call me at 678905-6553. I have worked with Dr. Long for nearly 20 years. I am happy to talk to you about any aspects of your surgical journey. Dr. Long offers many different procedures to help improve your appearance if that’s your goal. Feel free to ask about cosmetic lower lid surgery, fraxel skin resurfacing and injectables such as Botox and Filler. Thank you for trusting Marietta Eye Clinic and Dr. Long. Kate McGarity, COA
Consultation Checklist Bring the following with you to your consultation: Insurance cards Photo ID Questions you have for your physician or surgery scheduler Completed Patient Medical Information forms listed after Patient Forms in this booklet
Where to Go on the Day
of Your Consultation Although your oculoplastic aesthetic consultation and post-operative appointments will be at our oculoplastic office, All oculoplastic and aesthetic surgeries are performed at our award winning surgery center in Marietta, located next-door to our Kennestone office location.
Although your oculoplastic aesthetic consultation and post-operative appointments will be at our oculoplastic office, All oculoplastic and aesthetic surgeries are performed at our award winning surgery center in Marietta, located next-door to our Kennestone office location.
Because we want to make eyelid and cosmetic procedures available to as many patients as possible, Marietta Eye Clinic partners with CareCredit. CareCredit is a healthcare credit plan that offers a variety of interest-free payment options for up to 24 months after your procedure. Plans may also be extended by up to five years with interest. When paying with CareCredit, you will not owe anything to Marietta Eye Clinic at the time of your surgery. You will make payments to CareCredit after your surgery.
If you have a flexible spending account or a health savings account, you can pay for your surgery using pre-tax income.
You’ll have an opportunity to discuss co-pays and out-of-pocket costs associated with different surgery options at your oculoplastic and aesthetic consultation. Please bring this booklet to your oculoplastic and aesthetic consultation to remind you of any questions you may have for your surgical coordinator.
www.mariettaeye.com/patient-portal/
Thank you for taking the time to read this booklet. When it comes to your health, knowledge is power. We hope this guide has helped clear up some of your questions about oculoplastic and aesthetic services and the available treatment options. Remember that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to achieve your desired look. We want to make sure you end up with the options that are right for you— committed to you looking and feeling great. We will be ready to answer all of your questions at your consultation. We look forward to seeing you!