TESSA FAYERS

FRCOphth MBChB(Hons) BSc(Hons) PGDipMedEd FHEA

As a consultant at one of London’s most high-profile teaching hospitals and with more than ten years’ experience in the field of oculoplastic surgery, Tessa Fayers is a consummate professional and an expert in the management of diseases affecting the eyelids and tear ducts.

AREAS OF SPECIALIST EXPERTISE

Tessa has a special interest in cosmetic eyelid surgery, particularly blepharoplasty and ptosis surgery, to improve symmetry and rejuvenate the periocular area. From her research into perceptions of facial asymmetry and assessment of quality of life she has a deep empathic understanding of the impact that the appearance of ones’ eyes and eyelids can have on well-being and self-perception. Combined with her meticulous attention to detail and technically advanced surgical skills and experience, she can provide a comprehensive range of aesthetic surgical treatment options, tailored to individual needs, to create a natural, refreshed appearance.

In her NHS practice - at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Tessa maintains a strongly multidisciplinary approach, collaborating with colleagues from a range of medical specialties. She has a specialist interest in the medical and surgical management of thyroid eye disease and has developed a widely used questionnaire to assess the quality of life of patients with this disfiguring condition.

She performs reconstructive surgery for eyelid cancers, using specialist techniques to minimise tissue loss whilst achieving natural-looking reconstructions. In addition, she manages severe scarring diseases of the ocular surface, which cause the eyelids to turn inwards. Her judicious interventions in these painful conditions have often been life changing.

Tessa has expertise in the management of eyelid and facial spasms and holds regular botulinum toxin clinics for these debilitating conditions. She also runs clinics at St Mary’s Hospital, in which she manages children who are born with drooping eyelids and watery eyes resulting from tear duct abnormalities.

TRAINING

Following her graduation from medical school with honours she underwent intensive ophthalmic surgical training at London’s leading teaching hospitals. This culminated in two years of highly specialised fellowship training in oculoplastic surgery at the world-renowned Moorfields Eye Hospital and at the University of British Colombia in Vancouver. Further refinement followed in Seoul under the aegis of some of the world’s leading experts on Asian eyelid anatomy and double eyelid surgery.

AWARDS

Throughout her career, Tessa has received plaudits and awards from a variety of institutions, including the Wolfson Foundation, the Institute of Medical Ethics, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, the Bristol Medico-Chirurgical Society and others, establishing an international reputation. She was invited to be an ophthalmologist at the London 2012 Olympics.

RESEARCH

With original publications in high-impact scientific journals on a wide range of topics, such as thyroid eye disease, watery eyes and eyelid spasm, Tessa has achieved an impressive academic track record. In 2015, she won a prize for best paper at the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and her work on tear duct surgery made the top 15 research papers. She is currently the lead investigator on several randomised controlled clinical trials in the ophthalmic research unit at Imperial College. In addition, she holds a First-Class degree in Psychology, for which she wrote a thesis on perceptions of facial asymmetry.

TEACHING

A devoted teacher and surgical trainer, Tessa was awarded a diploma in medical education and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She is educational and clinical supervisor to ophthalmic trainees in her NHS practice.

Her particular areas of expertise include the following conditions:

 
Upper lid blepharoplasty for dermatochalasis (excess upper lid skin)Ptosis
Lower lid blepharoplasty (for under-eye bags)Thyroid eye disease
Asian blepharoplasty (double eyelid surgery)BoNT Injections
Eye brow liftFacial palsy
Almond eye surgeryWatery eye
Eyelid cancer and reconstructionArtificial eye
EctropionBlepharitis / dry eye
EntropionChalazia, eyelid lumps, xanthelasma