The road to becoming an oculoplastic surgeon is long and requires many years
of training and personal dedication. Upon completing four years of college and an additional four years of medical school,
the physician must then be accepted into a residency in ophthalmology, one of the most competitive
specialties in medicine. Because only a few hundred positions exist for twenty thousand medical students, only the top applicants
are accepted. After a one-year internship and three years residency in ophthalmology, an additional
fellowship in oculoplastic surgery completes the experience. There are only about twenty such oculoplastic fellowship positions
available in the United States to the hundreds of ophthalmologists who apply. In fact only a few hundred oculoplastic surgeons
exist in the entire country today.
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| Dr. Shorr with fellow, Dr. Ronald Mancini. |
Dr. Norman Shorr is co-Director of the Fellowship training program in Orbital and Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive
Surgery at Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA. His distinguished fellowship training program
continues to be the top oculoplastics program in the country, as it has been for over 20 years. To
learn more about what we can do to enhance your appearance, we invite you to view our photo gallery. If you have any questions
or would like to schedule a personal consultation, call our office today!
The Difference Between
an Oculoplastic Surgeon and a Plastic Surgeon An oculoplastic
surgeon is first trained as an ophthalmologist. He has specialized training in the eye and its surrounding structures, with
a particular concern for their cosmetic appearance. Because oculoplastics
overlaps with many specialties, the surgeons gain expertise in areas such as plastic surgery, otolaryngology, neurosurgery,
and dermatology, and therefore perform some of the same surgeries as these other physicians.
A plastic surgeon
is a general term which can refer to a board-certified plastic surgeon, a head and neck plastic surgeon, a general surgeon,
or even a dermatologist. While a plastic surgeon may perform some of the same surgeries as an oculoplastic surgeon, he or
she does not have the specialized training in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the eyelids, eyebrows, forhead, midface,
cheeks, orbit and tear drain system that an oculoplastics specialist has.
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| Dr. Shorr discusses a case with Dr. Mancini between seeing patients. |
Plastic surgeons are trained to perform a wide variety of procedures throughout
the body. A few will limit their practices to cosmetic surgery, and therefore perform procedures such as liposuction, breast
surgery, face lifts, eyelid blepharoplasty and nose surgery. Oculoplastic surgeons, however,
focus all their training on the structural, functional and aesthetic aspects of the eyes, eyelids and face.
Deciding
which surgeon is most qualified to perform a particular operation can be confusing for the patient. Often it comes down to
which surgeon has the most experience to meet your needs. Personal preference also comes into play. - Did the doctor spend enough time with me and listen to me?
- Does
he understand me and my problems?
- Do his solutions make sense?
- Does he specialize in taking care of problems like mine routinely?
- Has he had success with patients like me in the past?
- Is he
honest with me about outcomes and expectations?
- Is he innovative and well-respected
in his field?
Dr. Shorr will give you the time, attention, and information
necessary to gain your confidence. We routinely deal with very discerning patients who present very complex sets of problems.
To learn more about what we can do to enhance your appearance, we invite you to view our cosmetic surgeries and treatments
and our reconstructive surgeries sections. If you have any questions or would like to schedule a personal consultation, call
our office today!
_____________________________ Scheduling a consultation is easy! (310) 278-1839 or via email
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