Cosmetic Surgery

At the UC San Diego Shiley Eye Center, we offer many cosmetic eye surgeries and aesthetic procedures that can help rejuvenate your appearance.

Shiley’s surgical suite, one of the newest and pre-eminent in North America, is designed for and completely devoted to surgeries of the eye.  Specialized equipment and efficient in-room layout create an ideal environment to ensure the best possible results for patients.  Further, we provide a discreet location, offering our patients privacy and confidentiality.

Aesthetic procedures are typically performed on an outpatient basis, under local or sometimes general anesthesia.  Most patients can resume normal activities over the next couple of days.  Mild swelling and bruising gradually disappear in one or two weeks with most patients describing their total experience as completely painless.

Services Include:

• Eyebrow Lift - Correction of sagging eyebrows can be performed through a technique utilizing tiny incisions hidden above the hairline.  This procedure, called “endoscopic eyebrow lift,” restores a youthful appearance by raising the eyebrows and forehead to their natural position.
• Skin Rejuvenation - State-of-the-art laser treatment can provide remarkable results even on the most environmentally damaged and discolored skin.  In more mild cases, light chemical peels can tighten wrinkles, lighten age spots, and soften skin texture around the eyes.
• Blepharoplasty - Blepharoplasty is the common procedure surgeons recommend to remove eyelid skin and fat.  Individuals with excessive skin, puffiness, and/or wrinkling are ideal candidates for this procedure.
  Eyelid Ptosis - Correction of sagging eyebrows can be performed through a technique utilizing very small incisions hidden above the hairline.  This procedure, called “endoscopic eyebrow lift,” restores a youthful appearance by raising the eyebrows and forehead to their natural position.

• Botox - Repeated muscle contraction around the eyes and eyebrows can cause bulges, frown lines, and “crow’s fee.”  Botox is a medicine that can redue these wrinkles and muscle bulges around the eyelids and eyebrows.  Botox is administered in the office in small amounts through tiny injections.  Typically, no anesthetic is necessary.  The “muscle relaxant” effect of the medicine lasts about three to four months and can be repeated as needed. 

Why Choose an Ophthalmic Plastic Surgeon?

The skin surrounding the eyes is the thinnest and most sensitive of the body. Further, the eye is our most delicate and precious organ. Did you know surgery on the eyelids can effect eyesight and, if performed improperly, can damage the eyes?

An ophthalmologist with a subspecialty in plastic surgery and reconstruction is called an Ophthalmic Plastic Surgeon. Their additional training uniquely qualifies them to perform delicate surgery on the eyelids and around the eyes.

Ophthalmic Plastic Surgeons specialize exclusively in surgery and reconstruction of the eyelids, eye orbit and tear duct system. Because of their unique training, ophthalmic plastic surgeons are the most qualified practitioners to perform surgery on the eyelids and around the eyes.

Don O. Kikkawa, M.D., is chief of the division of ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery and director of the orbital and occuloplastics service at the Shiley Eye Center, UCSD School of Medicine.  Respected by his colleagues, Dr. Kikkawa has been repeatedly elected by his peers as one of The Best Doctors in America.