(Photo courtesy of OSHERU)
Patricia Buehler, MD, MPH, an eye surgeon from Bend and founder and CEO of Osheru, won the Eyecelerator People’s Choice Award for her innovative new device for blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery, the Ziplyft. Her innovative new device for blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery, the Ziplyft, has secured consecutive prestigious awards from Eyecelerator, a leading ophthalmology innovation catalyst.
At Eyecelerator’s annual innovator sessions, preceding the American Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) Meeting, on April 5 in Boston, Massachusetts, Dr. Buehler’s Ziplyft won the coveted People’s Choice Award, as selected by attendees. This recognition celebrates an outstanding cutting-edge startup in the ophthalmic space, and it follows Ziplyft’s triumph last year when it won the Winning Pitch Award.
Upper eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty, is consistently among the top five most popular cosmetic surgical procedures performed in the United States¹, underscoring the significant demand and market potential for innovative solutions in this field.
Traditional blepharoplasty techniques have remained largely unchanged for over 50 years, often requiring invasive surgical methods, extensive recovery times, and posing risks of post-operative complications like bruising, asymmetry, and suture issues.
Leveraging her 25+ years’ surgical experience as an Ophthalmologist, Dr. Buehler developed and patented Ziplyft, a minimally invasive alternative to the traditional blepharoplasty technique.
The Ziplyft is designed to offer reduced downtime, post-operative bruising, and the need for sutures, while providing symmetric results.
“As a woman who’s had eyelid surgery and a surgeon who has performed thousands of eyelid surgeries, I was in a unique position to recognize the pain points for surgeons and for my patients with the traditional blepharoplasty technique,” says Dr. Buehler.
Launching in early 2025, Ziplyft is poised to revolutionize the procedure, providing a long- awaited solution to the limitations of conventional blepharoplasty techniques.
Dr. Buehler’s achievement is unprecedented, winning back-to-back Eyecelerator awards and further underscores its ingenuity, potential to transform upper eyelid surgery, and remarkable progress of Osheru and the Ziplyft.
About Osheru and Ziplyft:
Osheru is an innovative medical device company revolutionizing eyelid surgery procedures. The company’s pioneering Ziplyft product facilitates minimally invasive blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) for ophthalmologists, oculoplastic surgeons, and facial plastic surgeons. Slated for commercialization in early 2025, the Ziplyft’s proprietary design introduces a novel surgical approach to removing excess eyelid skin through an advanced outpatient procedure. This specialized device is designed to enhance the surgical process and reduced recovery time compared to traditional methods.
About Eyecelerator:
Eyecelerator advances eye care innovation by connecting entrepreneurs, investors, physicians, and business leaders through next-generation conferences. The company provides seed investments, mentorship, and strategic connections to transform novel ophthalmic concepts into successful businesses.
¹American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 2020 Plastic Surgery Statistics Report
