Dr. Don Kikkawa, MD

Irreversible Consequences Following My Eyelid Surgeries with Dr. Kikkawa I visited Dr. Kikkawa at Shiley Eye Institute for excessive tearing in my left eye. Drs. Granet & Kikkawa recommended multiple surgical procedures: a left DCR for tear duct blockage, bilateral ptosis repair via Levator resection for ptosis in both eyes, and what was described as "extra skin removal" (later identified as blepharoplasty). Despite my disclosed decade long dry eye diagnosis, blepharitis and an upcoming open hernia surgery, Dr. Kikkawa assured me these combined procedures would: Require only two weeks of recovery Not worsen my dry eye condition Be safe to perform three weeks from my open hernia surgery Not leave me worse off than before surgery Not result in feeling the resected muscle after healing Importantly, there was never any discussion about changing my natural eyelid structure or altering my crease height. Dr. Kikkawa said one procedure would remove "a little excess skin" without mentioning… that this would result in fundamental changes to my eyelid appearance and other risks mentioned in an informed consent I was not allowed to see or obtain until three months after the surgery. These assurances proved dramatically incorrect. I am now two years post-surgery with: Permanently altered eyelid structure, with eyelid creases cut much higher than my natural ones and rounded rather than almond-shaped eyes Chronic blepharospasms in my right eye Significantly worsened dry eye condition that multiple specialists have confirmed is permanent. I now rely on six vials of Systane daily. Uneven eyelids and bilateral ptosis (drooping) where I previously had it only on one side Persistent discomfort of eyelids, I was told I wouldn't feel My recovery required over a year of debilitating eyelid and eye pain, including six months sleeping upright, nightly eye taping, not being able to hold my eyelids open as the day progress and months of medication. While Dr. Kikkawa attributed this to slow healing. For perspective, I healed from the open hernia repair in textbook time without complications--my body heals normally. Several concerning issues arose during my treatment: Inadequate Informed Consent At a second consultation, I received vague responses. On surgery day, I was asked to sign an electronic box for my informed consent without seeing the document. When I requested to view it, a staff member refused, stating 'that's not how we do things now.' Months later, I obtained this consent form and discovered it listed several risks in bold--including permanent changes to eyelid structure and worsened dry eye. He did mention general risks such as bleeding and infection--common to any surgery--but did not address any of the procedure-specific risks listed on the consent form. The dry eye risk was addressed only by verbal reassurance that turned out to contradict the outcome and published literature. Misleading Information When I specifically asked about impacts to my pre-existing dry eye, Dr. Kikkawa stated: "These surgeries will neither help your dry eye nor make your dry eye worse." This statement contradicts medical literature documenting the high risk of dry eye worsening after ptosis repairs and blepharoplasty. When I asked about effects on my eyes, he responded dismissively: "I am operating on your eyelids, not your eyes." Procedural Discrepancies The operative record revealed several concerning discrepancies: I was told I would undergo a Levator resection, but a Muellerectomy was performed instead The blepharoplasty surgery was not documented in my operative notes at all, just left out. Other oculoplastic surgeons were surprised these procedures were done together, given my medical history. When I raised concerns about my prolonged recovery, Dr. Kikkawa attributed it to "slow healing" rather than addressing the surgical approach or outcomes. As a retired nurse, I know how to ask medical questions and how procedures should be documented, but still found m

Dr Kikkawa is the real deal. He did my wife’s surgery for her bulging eyes about twelve years ago and her eyes came out perfect. I never knew my wife was so beautiful. Anyhow it was amazing. She had no scars and her vision was perfect. We were worried that the surgery might fix her eyes but mess up her vision but no, everything came out perfect. I highly recommend Dr Kikkawa. Thank you Dr Kikkawa.

Don Kikkawa ruined my eyes. After having ectropic eye surgery over a year ago, my eyesight was never the same. I lost some peripheral sight, I could no longer see up and down as I could before, and my sight, in general, was much worse - where they were perfect the day before the surgery. The surgery was to tighten the skin under my eye. To this day, I'm often asked to open my eyes wider, but, of course, they never will, which limits my eyesight. On top of everything else, he left a bulge in the outer corner of my eyelid. I went to him several times after the surgery just panicked at losing my sight. He said "I will take care of you", which of course he never did. He didn't do a darn thing. The final straw was that he told me ectropion surgery would take up to a year to settle. It never did, but a year is just outside the timeline for a lawsuit. Thanks, Dr. Kikkawa, for ruining my eyesight. Every time I open my eyes I think about the damage you did to them.

I had internal levator done on both eyes. Dr Kikkawa and his team made me feel quite comfortable before and after the surgery. Me eyes are still slightly swollen but I can already see the difference!

My wife was diagnosed with thyroid eye disease (TED), which damages eye muscles and pulls the eyes out of alignment causing double vision and fatty deposits around the eyes. In a major west coast city, my wife had strabismus (eye muscle) surgery to correct the misalignment. This was only marginally successful. Her double vision remained. Her eye surgeon prescribed prisms and felt that nothing more needed to be done. His assistant even recommended we get a second opinion. Looking online, we easily found the Shiley Eye Institute (in San Diego) and Dr. Kikkawa's and Dr Granet's YouTube seminar videos. Both doctors clearly explained TED and the damage it does to eye muscles and their treatment approaches. They also made a big point of the emotional effect of the eye misalignment on their patient's lives. TED restricts the movement of the eyeballs. So, Dr. Kikkawa first performs orbital (eye socket) decompression which allows the eye to move as freely as possible. This allows… Dr. Granet's eye muscle surgery to be more effective in aligning the eyes. Both doctors have amazing reputations, and yet are not at all pretentious. MDs from all over the world come to Shiley to train under them. Dr. Kikkawa and Dr. Granet and their staffs are amazingly compassionate, caring and responsive. My wife and I felt like members of their "family". My wife ended up having several surgeries from Dr. Kikkawa and Dr. Granet. Her eye alignment, acuity and appearance have now been nearly restored as they were pre-TED. This journey seems like a miracle to us, considering the skill, precision and "art" needed to accomplish the restoration. My wife and I are extremely fortunate to have found Shiley, Dr. Kikkawa and Dr. Granet (and the associated Ratner Eye Center). We highly recommend Dr. Kikkawa and Dr. Granet for what we believe to be is the best TED care available.

It is not the quickest process, but there are a lot of moving parts. You need to be seen by the resident and/or fellow before the Dr. But since rhey are also present at the surgery and it is a teaching hospital, I had no problem with it.

DR. KIKKAWA, IS THE BEST DOCTOR IN THE WORLD! I HAVE BLEPHARITIS AVERY CHRONIC CASE AT THAT. I TRAVELED FROM GEORGIA TO LAJOLLA TO SEE THIS VERY TALENTED DOCTOR WHOM I HAD SEEN (12) YEARS BEFORE. HIS SURGERY TEAM MAKES YOU FEEL YOU ARE WRAPED IN A COCOON VERY SECURE WARM SOFT VERY QUIET VOICES SURROUNDING YOU. THIS DOCTOR PERFORMED THE IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME. DOCTOR KIKKAWA ALSO GIVES HIS TIME FREE OF CHARGE TO LITTLE CHILDREN FOR EYE PROBLEMS, GREAT GUY. WISH I COULD SEE HIM AGAIN, THANK YOU DR. KIKKAWA =)

I was diagnosed with Thyroid Eye Disease two years ago and was suffering from bulging eyes, increasing pressure in my eyes, double vision and crossed eyes. Itâ??s hard to understand how debilitating this disease can be and I was very discouraged when I was finally referred to the UC San Diego Shiley Eye Center. A team of doctors led by Dr. David Granet and Dr. Don Kikkawa performed separate surgeries that cured all my problems with a series of three surgeries over a period of five months. Dr. Granet and Dr. Kikkawa are the finest professionals you could ever hope to have caring for you. I canâ??t thank them enough for the excellent warm and professional care they gave me. They are absolutely the best!

I am a patient in the Thyroid Eye Clinic at the Shiley Eye Center. Dr. Kikkawa has transformed my life in 5 months. Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) is a devastating condition which requires a compassionate and skilled surgeon. Dr. Kikkawa meets these requirements and more. He is a true artist. I traveled over 400 miles for treatment which included Orbital Decompression and Blepharoplasty. I could not be more pleased with the results. He has restored my eyes to their pre-Graves appearance and I am so much more comfortable as well. Coming from afar, organizing surgeries and appointments could be a nightmare but Dr. Killawa, Denise and his staff worked with me in scheduling these surgeries with ease. His empathy, compassion, optimism and surgical skills along with the ability to work as a part of a great team at the Shiley Eye Center are just a few reasons why I highly recommend Dr. Kikkawa.

After interviewing several doctors and research on my own over a period of 6 months for Entropian, I found Dr. Kikkawa at Shiley Eye Center. He and his staff were extremely professional -- he explained my eye issue with clarity and I felt the comfort level immediately that I needed to move forward with the surgery. I was hesitant as I heard the eyes are the hardest to work on, due to symmetry. Dr. Kikkawa has done an amazing job --- I could tell when it was first finished how great he did to make my eye look the same after the procedure. The bruising and swelling were minimal, after 2 months you can't even tell the difference. I have been back for follow up visits and each time both he and the staff, interns were so professional and made me feel important. Thank you for making a huge difference in my life!