I had been considering eye lid surgery for many, many years. I was turning 50 and I looked and felt tired and old. I was becoming more and more conscious of how negatively my saggy, droopy, ‘old-man’ eyelids were impacting on my self-esteem.
I am a qualified doctor. I know that surgery has its risks. I know a lot can go wrong and that results can never be guaranteed. Surgery is a BIG DEAL. To have surgery when it is not clinically indicated seemed reckless. On top of that, I was afraid people would know that I had had eye surgery. I didn’t want people to judge me for having had ‘plastic surgery’ so I could look amazing and youthful – I just wanted to look like me, but without the saggy eyelids.
My anxieties about (i) undergoing the risks of non-essential surgery (ii) not knowing how I would look afterwards (think Bride of Wildenstein) and (iii) people judging me for having had surgery, prevented me from going under the knife for many, many years. Then I simply had had enough.
I embarked on finding the best surgeon. I researched the field of plastic surgeons exhaustively and finally settled on one. She was expensive, had a brilliant academic record, excellent reviews, articles written about her and a long waiting list, so she must be good. At the appointment I stressed how anxious I was about wanting no-one to know I had had surgery.
Despite the excellent credentials, there was something about her demeanour which made me feel I was simply a number in her very long list of clients. At the end of the consultation, I did not feel that she really took my concerns seriously and so did not feel confident enough to put my face/looks/future in her hands.
I researched again and then found Dr De Silva. Again, great reviews, reassuringly expensive (in-line with all the other top-surgeons), long waiting list, etc.
I went and never looked back.
I felt he understood my primary fear which was people knowing I had had surgery. He gave me plenty of time (and I mean plenty) to answer all my questions and address my concerns. I saw his many pre- and post- surgery photos. We considered doing the lower eye-lids (his analogy -why decorate only half a room?) I asked more questions. He answered and reassured some more. By the time I left (never once feeling rushed or belittled) I knew my search was over. I was 100% confident I would get the result I wanted. To agree to have my lower lids done in the time the consultation took speaks volumes about how confident and reassured I felt in his hands.
Everything from that point on was seamless. Dr de Silva’s clinic is run and managed by the most amazingly competent staff. Professional to the end – everything runs like clock-work. No question is too small or ridiculous. From start to finish I felt I was in the best of hands.
The results have been nothing short of astounding. I look just like me – but 10/15 years younger. My saggy eye-lids have vanished yet my eyes have the exact same shape and look as before. There is no visible scarring. My lower eye area is just the same as it was- but now minus the bags and wrinkles. Quite remarkable. No tell-tale signs of human intervention whatsoever. I look and feel totally rejuvenated. Gone is that permanent look of exhaustion and weariness. And the best thing? Everyone says how great I look but not one person has asked/commented whether I have had surgery.
If you are considering having eye-lid surgery my advice would be to use Dr De Silva. You could not be in better hands. I would not hesitate to use him again.
AS /Putney
Dear Dr Julian De Silva,
It is truly difficult to find the words to fully express my happiness and excitement since my surgery last week. The outstanding care and kindness shown to me from my first consultation till aftercare is by far beyond my expectation. Never have I met such a remarkable doctor and team of professionals. It is evident that you all enjoy what you do and I cannot thank or praise you all enough.
You have provided me with the confidence I once lacked and have enhanced the features on my face. The treatment I was provided with by yourself and your staff has helped me attain fast recovery and has made this experience a pleasantly memorable one. It was not only the care that was shown but also the empathy of each staff at The Centre, which has completed my experience.
I would highly recommend the whole experience, from my first consultation to aftercare. I don’t think I could have found a better surgeon who understood exactly what I wanted, and for that I am eternally grateful.
Kind regards,
Yasemin
“Hi Dr De Silva I just wanted to give you an update on how I am doing.
I wanted to let you know that I am really pleased with how my eyes are improving. I am really happy with results.
I was on holiday the other day and I was with a bunch of 30 somethings. And they could not believe I was 44. They felt that I Iooked 38 at the most, and they were shocked at my age.
I feel so much happier with the way I look and I feel I am enjoying my appearance again. I feel a lot more confident. It does make a big difference to the way I feel.
The skin and the eyes are definitely improving and the skin is tightening. I didn’t really believe you when you said this would happen..ha ha ha… but it is definitely improving.
Overall, the eyes look really good.
I just wanted to say thank you, because I appreciate how much skill it takes to do such subtle work and how much training, dedication, money and commitment has gone into your life as a plastic surgeon.
So thank you because it has made a big difference to my life.
I know I will still age..but at least I can enjoy my young looks for a little while longer.
I will see you in the new year where we can look at the results.
With much appreciation.”
– H. ?
SW April 2014I am writing this to reassure anyone out there who is considering eyelid surgery, and is in the ‘research stage’ as I was for at least a couple of years before finally deciding to go ahead. There are many myths and legends out there about the procedure, some of which concerned me greatly when I was doing my own research, so hopefully an honest account of a very recent experience (currently on day 14 post surgery) will help to answer some questions and allay some fears!
I had been unhappy about my upper eyelids for the past 5 years – they appeared to have ‘sunk’ down and no matter how much I spent on creams and non surgical treatments to improve their appearance, they did not significantly improve. I started the arduous process of finding a surgeon by googling ‘best upper eyelid surgeons’ and quickly found that there are many experts (so called) out there, which on closer inspection seem to specialise in the whole body rather than the face alone. I initially went the mass market route with a well known cosmetic surgery organisation and met with a nurse/advisor who gave me a list of possible surgeons that may fit the bill – it worried me that I was meeting with a non medically qualified person, and I felt strongly that I should meet the surgeon in order to build trust and assess rapport. So I carried on searching and visited the website of Dr De Silva a few times. I was impressed with the level of detail available on the website, plus the fact that he deals exclusively with facial surgery. So I went ahead and booked an appointment.
My initial consultation went well, and I was impressed by Dr De Silva’s manner and professionalism. He also took a great deal of time to understand my motivations and expectations of results, as well as examining and measuring my eyes. I came away from the meeting feeling confident in his abilities and reassured that the process was something I could cope with. In the next 2 weeks, I went ahead and booked in for the surgery, which was to take place on April 10th at the Centre in Hammersmith Grove.
A couple of points here of note…your GP is able to carry out the necessary blood tests required before the surgery. The centre provide the details of a local walk in that will also carry out the bloods for you, and results can be back in 24 hours – I would use them only as a last ditch solution as the cost is ?260!! You will need to meet with Dr DS for a pre operation consultation, so plan time for it early as it is hard to get an appointment if you leave it too late to book in. These appointments take place at the centre where surgery will take place, and you will be shown the theatre and the consultation rooms which is quite reassuring as my initial appointment was in Harley street. Finally, you are able to speak to recent patients to gain ‘first hand’ experiences – I spoke to two and it was well worth the time and effort. I was torn between a local anasethetic and twilight sedation, and talking it through with people who had just had the procedure dispelled some of my worries after reading on line horror stories.
On the day of surgery you arrive at the centre approx. 30 mins before your booked time. Note – you can park on the road outside and you do not need change as the ticket machines all take cards. There is also a cafe next door to the centre who make a great cappuccino ? I had a calming cup of coffee beforehand sat outside in the sunshine!
The theatre suite is downstairs at basement level in the centre and you are first taken into a small room with the nurse who gives you 6 tablets to take orally plus checking blood pressure etc. Even before you leave the room, you start to feel very chilled out and a bit woozy. You are asked to wear comfortable clothes and no underwired bras etc (ans jewellery is removed) as they attach a special machine via a sticker on your hip to prevent bruising. You are given a lovely shower cap, slippers and gown in a lovely shade of blue to wear. Dr DS comes in and spends a while measuring and checking and drawing on your eyelids in pen. At this point, due to the medication, I was feeling very sleepy.
Eventually, you are taken next door to theatre, which is far from the usual scary scenario and is more like a medical room. You are asked to lie down on the bed and a gown is placed over the top of you. This was the part I was most scared about – the local going in – but I literally felt nothing! Your eyelids start to numb very quickly and feel very heavy. A few accounts on line suggested that you could not physically open your eyelids, but this was not the case for me – they feel heavy but you are definitely able to move them. Dr DS then left me in the room for a while to ensure the local was fully active. The lovely nurse, Alberta, washed my face with a solution, and wrapped up my head in an additional gown – this felt a bit odd as I wasn’t expecting it, and it muffled the sounds in the room. You are attached to a heart monitor, which I found very distracting, as it is a constant background beep, but there was also soul music playing, and eventually the heart monitor ceased to factor.
When the procedure actually starts, there is pressure but no feeling/pain at all. I was surprised by the very bright light that shone right through my eyelids – you can wear eye shields under your eyelids if this is a problem but I assume it is much more comfortable without them. There is a burning smell when blood vessels are being cauterised, and I would imagine that this would be a surprise to some people. It can also give you a feeling like a little electric shock, which Dr DS dealt with by giving me a little extra local. If you have any fat being removed, there is more pressure on the actual eyelid for this part, which was a little uncomfortable, but not at all painful – about a 3/10 at worst. If you have watched the procedure on U-tube you are kind of aware of the different stages – I could certainly tell when I was being glued and stitched for example – not because I could feel it, but more that it was the next logical step of the surgery!
When you are done (I was in theatre for an hour) you can open your eyes straight away. It feels stiff and odd but not painful. There is antibiotic cream on the stitch line and there are little knots each side but no actual dressings or tape. You are moved to the recovery room and allowed to drift off with an ice pack on your eyes, which feels wonderful.
My partner was having a coffee next door in the cafe and was called to come and collect me about 30 minutes post surgery. He was surprised at how I looked – in a good way. Before any swelling sets in you can already see a massive improvement to your eyes, but it does get worse before it gets better again, so savour the first hour post surgery! On the way home, I was feeling a little sore, and took 2 paracetamol tablets and fell asleep in the car. I took two more tablets at bedtime, but that was all the painkillers I needed throughout.
On arriving home, my right eye was seeping a little but that quickly dried up. I was taking Arnica and Vit C as recommended from a week before surgery and carried on until day 10 post surgery, plus the prescribed antibiotics and antibiotic cream but nothing else. I slept propped up on 3 pillows which was actually fine and I slept quite well.
I have been surprised at how quickly I healed. I had my stitches removed on day 6 by Dr DS, who commented that my right eye had healed so fast that the stitches were a little buried in the skin. Removing them pulls a little but is not painful. It is like a long running stitch that is removed from one end and pulled through. You will notice a huge difference when the stitches are removed – your eyes feel much less tight and healing progresses even more quickly. 24 hours after the stitches are removed you are able to wear make up again – OMG the forgotten joy of mascara!
So here I am after 2 weeks. The scars are a little red and raised but are easily hidden with concealer and are already in the crease of your eyelid, so really not an issue. My eyes look like me, only younger and less tired – this was very important to me. I did not want to look unnatural or weirdly ‘surprised’! I would say to anyone considering this procedure that it is absolutely worth doing if you enter into it with the right attitude and expectation. Dr DS is a very experienced and professional facial surgeon whom I would highly recommend. Hopefully my account will help others to understand the process and the outcome more fully and dispel some of the myths out there!
– Anonymous
“Trop contente d\’avoir trouve\’ un chirurgien aussi bon que Dr Julian De Silva et sa belle equipe sympatique, professionnelle et attentionnee a\’ sa clinique The Centre. Je ne m\’attendais pas a\’ une si belle reussite de l\’operation. Jamais je ne remercierai assez Dr Julian,un homme si doux, si gentil, un excellent chirurgien . Thank you to everyone at The Centre, thank you sooo very much Dr Julian.”
– MIMI H.
“Hi Folks,
Just wanted to say a thank to Dr Julian, Very kind man & honest in his approach, seems like an inspiring figure for young people affiliated with science medicine & surgical procedures, Im grateful to the time that he did spend & attention he gave to my concern.
Ill speak highly of him & the team, I believe a lot of people can benefit from a well focused & honest surgeon that are a rarity. Hope you all have a great season
Kindly”
– Sharon G
“My eyes were initially very droopy with rolls of fat on them. My doctor suggested an upper blepharoplasty and canthopexy. Overall the procedure took around 2 hours, and I was able to go home on the same day. The first night was a little painful with visible bruising. But the bruising started to come down from the very next day. Overall there was minimal bruising and swelling, and I recovered within 2 weeks completely. I am very pleased with the results!
I am a relatively young patient, and hence was extremely scared about the procedure. Dr De Silva was very helpful and comforting pre-surgery, ensuring I was aware of everything that was going to happen. I recovered within 2 weeks completely, with little bruising and swelling. Dr De Silva is an exceptional surgeon who make sure my expectations were met. I was extremely happy with the results. He also said I shouldn’t expect perfection- but he managed to achieve perfection on my eyelid.”
– Suchi
“My name is Judith and I am 62 year old female.
I was very happy with the results of my upper and lower lid blepharoplasty, anti-wrinkle injections and fat augmentation in February 2013. Dr De Silva and his team were very thoughtful and professional and took great care with reassurance and good communication before and after the operation which I had under mild sedation and local anesthesia. There was no pain and with the clearly written and explained instructions for post-op, I made a speedy recovery.
I researched several other surgeons for this procedure but was impressed with Dr De Silva’s facial specialism and international experience and therefore it was an easy choice after my initial meeting.
There has been a huge improvement to my aging eyes which has freshened my appearance and given me a much needed confidence boost. Thank you, I am most grateful to Dr De Silva and his team. The procedure was a great success!”
– Judith W
“Dear Dr De Silva,
I am currently in Dhaka, and I am healing very well. I am extremely happy with the results and it looks so natural that everyone says I look much fresher but no one can put a finger on the reason why. I just wanted to thank you again, and also ask if I can resume taking my Vitamin E and Omega 3 supplements.
Thanks you so much!”
– Monjarin
“My name is Alexander and I am a 45 year old male.
In January 2013 I received upper eye lid surgery from Dr Julian De Silva. This was a very simple treatment, with a mild sedation, local anesthesia and minimum discomfort, completed in about one and a half hour including preparation. I found the recovery period much faster than advised and completely painless: I went out without a sunglasses on the 5th day after the surgery with a very little of makeup and felt comfortable to join an important meeting without any makeup on the 14th day.
Before the surgery I had a concern about the shape will be slightly different and visible for my friends and colleagues.
But the results exceeded my expectations and are absolutely excellent: after about a month since surgery I found my eyes keep the same shape and cut but look 20 years younger.
I proceeded with my own research before the surgery and I visited two other top surgeons I selected from my short list before I’ve met Dr De Silva. So I am very happy about the choice I made finally.
I found Dr De Silva has merged his unique knowledge and international experience with his very delicate personality to provide his patients with a superb tailor made service.”
– Alexander
“I have undergone upper eyelid surgery and fat augmentation earlier in the year. I would highly recommend Dr De Silva’s to anyone considering facial surgery. His approach has been friendly and professional from the start, putting me at ease with the process. The treatment from the first consultation to the day of surgery, has been incredibly smooth. If you’re worried that cosmetic surgery may hurt, please don’t be! And for those worried about their image. I found that after a week I was able to camouflage a small bruise with make up! I am absolutely delighted with my new and improved eyelids; huge thanks go to Dr De Silva and his fantastic team for giving me with the new eyelids I have always wanted!”
– AA Upper and lower eyelid surgery & fat augmentation.
“Dr De Silva did a facelift and brow lift for me. I am delighted with the results. The look is so natural that people are shocked when I tell them I had cosmetic surgery. Even though my results are subtle, these procedures took years off my appearance. There are no scars as they are hidden . All the bruising on my neck was gone by two weeks and I was able to work five days after my surgery. Dr De Silva is a very caring individual and anyone who decides to trust their face has made a sound decision.”
– RJ Face lift & Brow lift.
“Dear Mr. De Silva, Thank you very much for your careful examination of my ageing eyes yesterday and for your advice about how to tackle my aging eyes. Armed with my eye drops, ointment, flannel, cotton wool, buds and pills I’m following your guidance as carefully as I can. Thank you for going to so much trouble on my behalf. I’m very grateful to you and to your team for treating my small problems with much care and efficiency. With best wishes.”
– DH
“Thank you so much for taking the time to fix my watery eyes, I am really grateful for your help.”
– AR
“I was very impressed with Dr De Silva’s surgical and anaesthetic care, thank you.”
– SH
“I am writing to thank you for the way I was treated when I had my eye operation on the 25th July by Mr. Julian de Silva. He and his staff looked after me very well. The standard of treatment was very high, once again than you.”
– MR
“I would like to thank Dr DP for his excellent care and professionalism which made me trust this way of sedation for all”
– HA
“Sedation was a very good experience. Thank you very much”
– PF
“Dr B was amazing and very caring. Prior to the sedation I was very scared but due to the doctors expertise and kindness the sedation experience was really comfortable”
– RF
“Dr B. Thank you for your very thorough review and I feel You covered and anticipated all questions. Of greatest importance, thank You for your immense compassion, warmth and concern for my comfort. It meant more to me during the first hour after surgery than you can imagine. I felt miserable and in pain and foolish. You eased all that for me.”
– LB
“Thank you for making the procedure very comfortable for me!”
– RA
“Thank you for your professional service and kindness. You made the procedure a pleasant experience and I felt reassured and confident throughout. Many many thanks. Regards TL”
– TL
“Thank you for putting me at ease and explaining in way I understood the conscious sedation. Thank you for keeping me safe throughout. ? ”
– CR
“Really grateful for full explanation of the procedure & great support throughout”
– FM
“Thanks for such a quality sedation service and helping everything go perfectly and also just for being a gentleman. Many Thanks.”
– EK
“Excellent work, thank you!”
– AT
“I’m really happy that this procedure was done with Conscious Sedation over General Anaesthesia. I felt very prepared and remained comfortable during the whole experience. I was able to function when I returned home. Excellent experience – thank you!”
– EP
“Just to say how amazing my care was from start to finish. It made the whole procedure less stressful and I felt completely well looked after from start to finish. I can’t thank you enough!!”
– LA
“Thank you so much. You did a fantastic job and I was made to feel extremely comfortable throughout. Best, Corey”
– CN
“Dr B was very friendly, professional and made me feel at ease about the sedation process. I would definitely recommend to others.”
– ACH
“Very reassuring”
– RA
“Dr DP was excellent. I was very nervous before hand and he was able to calm me down and reassure me that everything would go smoothly.”
– AH
“Lovely and calming man thank you”
– AA
“The Sedation doctor was absolutely great. A wonderful professional and a credit to Dr De Silva’s medical team. He explained everything very clearly, making me feel completely comfortable and further prepared for the surgery.”
– ED
Loved it! Amazing. Never been back to normal after any Anaesthesia so fast. The anaesthesiologist was the best considering IV have no bruise like nothing ever happened.
Very professional manner with all stuff and Dr Silva. Very happy with result and will most definitely be back in future
It was fine, just like being asleep.
Excellent. Not having to go into a big hospital meant I was less anxious. No nausea, vomiting or depression afterwards. It would be my first choice for any other operation I would have.
Very good, little side effects and able to go home very soon after procedure.
Fantastic. Exactly how I was told. Felt relaxed, and no sickness at all on waking up.
Excellent. No problem at all, quick recovery. Everything explained thorough.
It was absolutely fine and meant I could recover quickly.
Excellent! I felt very reassured by the anaesthesist on the sedation, the products used, what will happen. He was very professional and caring.
Great. Very friendly and explained everything to me. Was very good when I was feeling a bit nervous
Excellent. He explained everything clearly, answered my questions and reassured me.
Excellent, he talked me through everything and put me at ease as I was extremely nervous
Excellent and professional manner. Made me feel at ease about the experience .
Explained everything very calming manner very pleasant experience
He took his time to explain what was happening and why. There was no discomfort. All well.
He made me feel very calm.
Again excellent! The anaesthetist was really instrumental in making the whole process very smooth!
Very pleasant.
Renowned expert in Facial Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery. Signature techniques in Blepharoplasty, Rhinoplasty and Facelift surgery. Expert in revision surgery and in natural looking results
