For Vivian Campbell, plastic surgery was about more than just looking good. It was good to see.
Campbell had blepharoplasty, commonly known as an eyelid lift, with Christine Puig, MD, when she realized her damaged eyelids were obstructing her vision. “I recognized that I was having trouble seeing well when I was driving,” says Campbell. “My peripheral vision had some significant damage related to my eyelids.”
Campbell decided to look into blepharoplasty and made an appointment with Dr. Puig. “I immediately felt a connection with her.” At the first appointment, Dr. Puig did a thorough exam, confirming Campbell’s suspicions that her peripheral vision was being affected by her eyelids.
Dr. Puig talked about options such as blepharoplasty alone or blepharoplasty with a brow lift. After considering and discussing both options, Campbell chose blepharoplasty alone as it best suited her situation.
Given the choice between moderate sedation and general anesthesia, Campbell chose sedation. “It was very simple,” he recalls.
After the operation, he had no pain in the incision. “I was itching,” she recalls. Cool cotton pads and some eye drops to keep the incisions moist helped, but no pain medication was needed. “I wasn’t very bruised, even.”
Two days later, Campbell put on some big sunglasses and took her daughter to a farmer’s market. A few days later, even with her eyelids swollen shut, Campbell noticed something remarkable.
“I was sitting in the living room and realized I could see the ceiling fan,” he says. “I realized I hadn’t been able to do that before.”
Besides being able to see the ceiling fan without hitting her neck, “everything looks brighter and better,” she says.
About a year later, at her annual eye exam, Campbell reported that her glasses weren’t working well to correct her vision. The examination revealed something remarkable. “The doctor said my glasses were bothering me because my vision had improved.” Campbell had astigmatism made worse by the weight of her eyelids on her eye. After the blepharoplasty, the condition improved so much that her glasses prescription was changed.
While the functional results of the blepharoplasty were her first priority, Campbell says the aesthetic result was just as rewarding.
“It’s definitely a lot easier to do makeup,” she says. “Now it’s more about having fun than trying to make myself look average!”
Campbell’s top tip for anyone facing functional or cosmetic concerns with their eyelids is to reach out and read other people’s stories — like hers. “Make an appointment with Dr. Puig for an evaluation and get some information so you can understand the options. She definitely understands her specialty. Not only is she glamorous, but she’s also very engaging and easy to talk to.”
Campbell says she’s usually a very private person “I would never put myself out there like that, but I will for Dr. Puig,” she says. “It’s a great clinic and the work they do has definitely improved my life.”
