The Patient Journey: From Scheduling a Consultation to Final Results

Starting on any journey can feel daunting, but understanding each step can bring peace of mind. At Boston Eyelids, we guide you through a comprehensive process, ensuring you feel informed, comfortable, and confident from your first consultation to your final results.

Scheduling a Consultation

The process starts by calling, texting, or emailing the office to schedule a consultation. Our office staff will help get an appointment scheduled and can help answer any questions about the process. You can call or text the office at 978-393-5437 or send an email to office@bostoneyelids.com.

We have a busy office and usually schedule consultations 2-3 months from your initial call. That being said, we have a very active waiting list and can often get patients in sooner if they are flexible on times. Another trick is to call the office on Monday morning at around 8:00 AM – Monday cancellations are common, and we might be able to fit you in on short notice.

The Initial Office Visit

During this visit to our Wellesley office, you will meet Dr. Kapadia and our office staff.

What to Expect During Your Consultation

• The Initial Consultation: This is where Dr. Kapadia will discuss your aesthetic goals and concerns. We want to understand what bothers you most and what you hope to achieve.
• Discussing Your Goals: Be open and honest about your expectations. We’ll help you set realistic goals and explain what blepharoplasty can and cannot do.
• Medical History Review: We’ll go over your complete medical history, including any eye conditions, allergies, and current medications (prescription, over-the-counter, and herbal supplements).
• Physical Examination: We will assess your specific anatomy to plan the most effective and safest procedure for you.
• Procedure and Anesthesia Recommendations: If you are a candidate for surgery, we will discuss what we hope to accomplish as well as what types of anesthesia options are available.
• Surgical Quote: If you are a candidate for surgery, we will provide you with a written quote which details the costs of surgery as well as any treatments that we recommend before and after surgery.
• What to Expect: We will provide you with detailed information about what to do before surgery, what to expect on your surgery day, and what you need to do after surgery. Knowledge is power. We want you to be as prepared as possible with no surprises.

Eyelid Surgery: The Procedure, Recovery, and Longevity

Our aim is to make your surgical experience as comfortable and efficient as possible.

Fast Facts on the Procedure and Recovery

• Outpatient Procedure: Eyelid surgery is performed on an outpatient basis, allowing you to recover in the comfort of your own home.
• Anesthesia Options: Upper eyelid surgery can be performed awake with local anesthesia (numbing injections) or with intravenous sedation. Lower blepharoplasty is generally performed under general anesthesia.
• Typical Surgery Duration (30-75 mins): The procedure itself usually takes between a half hour and 75 minutes, depending on whether you’re having upper, lower, combination surgery, and/or laser resurfacing.
• Post-Surgery Swelling and Bruising: It’s normal to experience swelling and bruising around your eyes after surgery. This typically lessens significantly within 14 days, though individual healing times vary. The vast majority of patients can return to in-person work in 14 days, though makeup is sometimes needed.
• Working From Home: Most patients can return to working on a computer the day after upper eyelid surgery and within 3-4 days after lower eyelid surgery. You are probably going to need your camera off during video calls for about 2 weeks.
• Post-Op Care: We will provide detailed instructions for post-operative care. This typically includes applying ice packs to your eyes, sleeping with your head elevated to reduce swelling, and using prescribed medication. You’ll need to avoid strenuous activity and rubbing your eyes. Pain is usually minimal – patients are surprised at how little it hurts.

Understanding the Results and Longevity

The results of eyelid surgery can be truly transformative, offering a refreshed, more youthful appearance that can significantly boost self-confidence.

• A More Rested and Youthful Appearance: Many of our patients tell us they feel more self-confident and that friends and family remark on how rested and refreshed they look, often without realizing surgery was involved. This aligns perfectly with our philosophy of natural, subtle improvements.
• Increased Self-Confidence: When your outer appearance reflects how you feel on the inside, it naturally leads to greater self-assurance.
• Results Are Long-Lasting: For most patients, results usually last about 10-15 years. Surgery doesn’t stop the aging process – it just moves it backwards.
• Scars Are Hidden in Natural Creases and Fade Over Months: Our expert eyelid plastic surgeons carefully place incisions in the natural creases of your eyelids, minimizing their visibility. Scars usually fade to a barely visible, faint line over time.
• Protecting Skin From Sun Exposure is Key: After surgery and throughout your life, protecting your delicate eyelid skin from sun exposure with sunglasses and sunscreen is crucial to maintaining your results and preventing further signs of aging.

Navigating the Costs and Potential Risks of Eyelid Surgery

Making an informed decision about eyelid surgery involves understanding both the financial investment and the potential risks involved. We believe in complete transparency to help you feel confident in your choices.

A Breakdown of Eyelid Surgery Costs

The cost of eyelid surgery can vary, and it’s important to understand what contributes to the total fee:

• Factors Influencing Cost (Surgeon’s Fee, Facility Fee, Anesthesia Fee): The total costs for surgery can include the surgeon’s professional fee, the cost for the surgical facility where the procedure is performed, and the anesthesiologist’s fee. In our office, we will give you a total fee which includes all these costs. We believe in full transparency so there are no financial surprises in our office.
• Geographic Location: Costs can vary by region. In metropolitan areas like Boston, fees may be higher due to the cost of living and operating expenses compared to the Midwest.
• Complexity of the Procedure: Revision surgeries are often more complicated than primary surgeries and may have a higher cost.

Is Eyelid Surgery Covered by Medical Insurance?

Cosmetic surgery is never covered by medical insurance in the United States. In some cases, upper eyelid surgery may be covered by insurance if it is severe enough to cause a significant loss of peripheral vision. Lower eyelid surgery is not typically covered by insurance.

Our office, Boston Eyelids, does not accept any medical insurance.

Why don’t we accept medical insurance? Our goal is to provide our patients with the highest level of care and a world-class experience. Medical insurance typically pays less than 20% of the full cost of upper eyelid surgery. We are unable to provide quality of care at that price. You get what you pay for. If your goal is an optimal cosmetic result, you should consider paying out-of-pocket for surgery. If your goal is to improve your peripheral vision with less concern about how it looks, you can consider seeing a doctor that accepts medical insurance.

Scheduling Surgery

After your consultation with Dr. Kapadia, you will meet with our office staff. As mentioned above, we will provide you with a detailed quote for your surgery. We will also ask you to sign a financial agreement at that time. The financial agreement provides a breakdown of cancellation and rescheduling fees and is not an obligation to proceed with surgery.

If you are ready to schedule surgery, we will give you a list of available dates. If you are not ready to schedule, that’s totally fine as well. There is no sales pressure in our office. Feel free to go home and think about it more. You will potentially need to make arrangements with taking time off work and having a family member drive you on surgery day, so it’s important to pick a day that works.

Once you are ready to schedule a date, we will collect a booking fee of $1,000. This confirms your spot in our schedule. Note that there is a rescheduling fee of $500 if you need to change your date after booking. Full payment is due one month prior to surgery, and there are hefty fees to reschedule after that time. We need to pay our staff for a full day of work even if you cancel your surgery, and the fees are designed to cover these costs. If you have an urgent medical issue which requires you to reschedule surgery, we can usually waive some of these fees with a doctor’s note.

Surgery Day and Post-Op Care

Arriving for Surgery

If you are having surgery under local anesthesia only, we will ask you to arrive in our office about 30 minutes before your scheduled surgery time. You will be able to leave right after your procedure (typically around 60 minutes), though you will need a ride home. Because you will be awake and not drowsy, an Uber or taxi is totally fine – you just can’t drive yourself.

If you are having surgery under systemic anesthesia, we will ask you to arrive at least an hour before your surgery. You won’t be able to eat or drink anything after midnight. Our nursing team will help get you changed into a surgical gown and get you prepared for surgery. After surgery, you will need to be in our recovery room until you are awake enough to be discharged. A family member or friend will need to drive you home that day and be with you for several hours until the anesthesia is out of your system and you are fully awake.

Post-Op Appointments

A full list of post-op appointments will be provided to you along with detailed postoperative instructions. Your first post-op visit is typically one week after surgery.