Darren Zheng
Over the course of several years during my adolescence, my left eyelid became droopier than the right as a result of constant eye rubbing. I was obsessed with looking in the mirror and began noticing my eyelid drooping and sought ways to undo the effects of my eye rubbing. Despite the difference in my eyelids being an "imperfection" that no one could notice except for me, I began prodding at my left eyelid, the crease, and all the areas around it in the hopes of lifting it up. The only results from this were inflammation and a droopier eyelid. I began regretting everything that I have done. The resulting catastrophe plagued my mind as it tanked my self-esteem, and I was anxious whenever a camera was pointed at me or when making eye contact. For seven years, I was browsing plastic surgeons throughout NYC. There were so many choices that it made choosing the right surgeon a difficult choice. I constantly asked myself if I needed this surgery. While there were many times when I accepted my droopy eyelids for what they were, more frequent were the times when I felt like surgery was necessary. I was searching, listening to my gut, and trying to quell my doubts with each surgeon I came across. I did not want to regret getting the plastic surgery. After a long time searching, I came across and ultimately settled on Dr. Eric Choe. This was my first time getting plastic surgery, and I did not know what to expect. Deciding to finally get the surgery and entering his clinic relieved a lot of anxiety and talking to Dr. Choi and Christina, the assistant, and Sharon, the manager, made me hopeful and reassured of having made the right choice. Dr. Choi wants to understand his patients as much as possible, their needs, and the best course of outcome. From talking to Dr. Choi, I learned that his standard of care is extremely high. Despite plastic surgery seeming like a lucrative business in which surgeons can exploit client insecurities and deny any wrong doings of errors, I did not get that feeling from Dr. Choi. Throughout my interactions with Dr. Choi and his team, I got the sense that Dr. Choi was really skilled at what he does. I felt cared for and listened to. On the day of my surgery before operation, I was briefed on the exact procedure and shown how to take care of my eyelids to ensure a swift recovery and the best possible outcome. During the operation, I was places under local anaesthesia. The experience felt smooth and quick. I did not experience any complications during the procedure. Afterwards, I rested for several hours while being monitored and assisted out of the clinic to my Uber and sent home. Despite being at home several miles away from the clinic, it felt like the team was always with me through their follow up phone calls, generous availability to answer any questions that I may have, and constant reassurance. My eyelids began healing day by day and one week after the surgery, my sutures were swiftly and effortlessly removed. More healing was expected as the inflammation and bruising began diminishing and the appearance of my eyes improved about two months later. I still look in the mirror sometimes even when I can't help it. But instead of being anxious about my eyes, I now admire them for I now see the light in my eyes which were regretfully absent before. Dr. Choe's team is amazing and their level of care is exceptional. I am glad to have made the right choice after so many years of anxiety and searching for the right surgeon. My only regret was not seeing Dr. Choe sooner.