Cheryl’s Story*

Cheryl had the opportunity to observe Dr. Gross perform surgery when she worked with him in the operating room. She’s worked with quite a few plastic surgeons and, she says, “He is absolutely the best.” That’s why she selected him to perform her upper and lower blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery). The Orlando surgeon also did a chemical peel below her eyes.

cheryl

*Keep in mind that each patient is unique; your results may vary.

What's it like to work with Dr. Gross?

He's one of the more pleasant surgeons to work with. His bedside manner is impeccable. He is all about the patient. He will tell you if it's not the right procedure for you and recommend what would be the best procedure. He is excellent at what he does.

What happens during eyelid surgery?

First of all, I'm not wearing any makeup. For the lower eyelid surgery, the incision goes right under here (points to lower eyelid), right under your eyelashes. You really cannot even see the sutures other than because they're blue. That's the only reason you can see them. As soon as the sutures came out, which was 7 days after surgery, you could not even see the scar. The upper blepharoplasty goes right in the crease of the eyelid, and again, you can't see the sutures other than except for they're blue. Within 2 to 3 weeks those sutures come out, and the scar is almost invisible. No one knows that I've had it. It was really painless. After the procedure, I really did not feel any pain from the upper and lower bleph, or really from the chemical peel. It truly was painless. The only inconvenience is using ice and sleeping in a recliner.

What was it like on the day of the surgery?

The day of surgery, I had to be at the office at around 7, 7:30 in the morning because I was the first patient that day. He has a door in the back that you go in. It's very quiet, soft music playing, just very serene. My girlfriend did come with me. They made her very comfortable and gave her a facial while she was waiting for me to have my procedure. Everything was just very calm and relaxing. Everyone was very nice. They introduced themselves and explained what they were doing the whole time they were doing it. They went through each step, step by step, so that I knew everything. He has a wonderful anesthesiologist. I didn't even feel him stick me. It just happens really fast. You're not just sitting there waiting to go into the surgery. You come in and within 10 or 15 minutes after getting settled in, you're taken back to the OR.

How long does it take to recover from eyelid surgery and a chemical peel?

Recovery timeline for the upper and lower eyelid surgery: The stitches come out within 7 to 10 days, depending on how quickly you heal. You go in and see the staff, and one of his nurses will remove the stitches. The Primera staff is amazing - they are so nice. Dr. Gross will come in and take a look. The amount of swelling you have depends on how much you listen to the post-op procedure requirements. If you are using ice 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off and sleep in a recliner, the swelling decreases much faster. His staff explains all of this to you. Recovery time for the chemical peel: Post-procedure you have to put Vaseline® on for a few days, about 7 to 10 days until your sutures come out. It is a little annoying to have the Vaseline there, because it gets in your eyes, but it's definitely worth it. Within the 10- to 14-day period you get the good peel, and then your skin is a pink-red for about 4 to 6 weeks. It's frustrating waiting the 4 to 6 weeks, but the outcome is definitely worth it. I had extremely dark circles under my eyes. I looked really like a raccoon, and now I don't have those, and I could not be happier.

Final thoughts?

When you get 4 weeks out and people start saying, "Wow, you don't look old enough to have a 22-year-old daughter," or just they notice things are different, you feel better about yourself. I wouldn't even consider going to a different doctor for facial surgery. I recommend him to everybody. You don't go to just any plastic surgery when it comes to your face. This is out there. This is what you see. All he does is faces, so he knows what he's doing. He's a perfectionist, and he's going to do it right the first time. You don't have to fear, "Oh, my God. Is this going to turn out right? What am I going to look like?" I've sent several of my friends to him and every one of them have been very, very pleased with the outcome. I even talked to my husband into going and to see him for BOTOX® Cosmetic and Restylane®, and he is extremely happy with his procedure!

*Keep in mind that each patient is unique; your results may vary.

Contact