The Aesthetic Oculoplastic Surgery Video Teleconference Consult

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Plastic Surgery
• Telemedicine

Background:

• Telemedicine, specifically Skype video consultations, is increasingly used for remote patient evaluations.
• The utility of Skype for cosmetic oculoplastic patients has not been previously studied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the effectiveness of Skype video consultations for cosmetic oculoplastic surgery patients.
• To examine patient demographics, reasons for consultation, and procedural conversion rates.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective chart review of patients who had aesthetic oculoplastic Skype consultations over one year.
• Analysis included patient demographics, referral source, chief complaint, consultation duration, and conversion to in-person visits and interventions.

Main Results:

• Seventy-nine patients (mean age 49) underwent Skype evaluations, with most consultations (81%) lasting 15 minutes or less.
• The primary reasons for consultation were revision (49%) and first-time (30%) eyelid/eyebrow surgery.
• Twenty-five percent of patients proceeded to an in-person consultation, and 80% of those had surgical or nonsurgical interventions.

Conclusions:

• Skype consultations offer an efficient method to manage patient flow and expand practice reach.
• A notable percentage of virtual consultations result in in-person follow-ups and subsequent treatment, indicating the value of telemedicine in cosmetic oculoplastics.