Training and board certification
Source for all rows: oculoplastics.woolfsoneye.com/dr-joseph-walrath
| Stage | Detail |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate | B.S., Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, 1996, summa cum laude |
| Graduate | M.S., Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, 1998 |
| Medical school | M.D., College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University, 2003 |
| Internship | Internal Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 2003-2004 |
| Residency | Ophthalmology, Columbia University (Harkness Eye Institute), 2004-2007; elected Chief Resident, 2006-2007 |
| Fellowship | Oculoplastics, Emory University, 2008-2010 |
- Board certified, American Board of Ophthalmology.
- Academic appointments: Instructor in Clinical Ophthalmology, Columbia University Medical Center and St. Vincent's Catholic Medical Center (2007-2008); Associate in Ophthalmology, Emory University (2008-2010); Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, Division of Oculoplastics, Emory University (2010-2011).
- Practiced with Paces Plastic Surgery, Atlanta, August 2011 to January 2013; full-time with the Woolfson Eye group since September 2013.
- Member, American Academy of Ophthalmology and Georgia Society of Ophthalmology.
- 2013 award for Best Journal Article by a Domestic Author, Aesthetic Surgery Journal.
- Author of papers and book chapters on blepharoplasty, implant materials, eyelid mechanics (with Dr. Clinton McCord), blepharoplasty complications and open brow lifting; manuscript reviewer for The Aesthetic Surgery Journal and Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery.
Eyelid surgery work
- Upper eyelid blepharoplasty. Described as individually tailored, with a "tissue-sparing" approach used for younger patients and men; performed on Asian patients after discussion of desired crease and skin fold; often combined with forehead/temporal brow lifting (cosmetic).
- Lower eyelid blepharoplasty. Removal or repositioning of fat pads, support of the middle eyelid layer with spacer material, and skin tightening via a subciliary incision preserving the lash follicles; nonsurgical filler is offered as an alternative for younger patients (cosmetic).
- Ptosis repair, divided into three surgical groups: external incision (levator advancement/resection), internal incision (conjunctivomullerectomy), and frontalis suspension for severe cases. The site states a review of his 2015 surgical series (approximately 200 levator surgeries) found a 4% reoperation rate, and that levator surgery success (acceptable lid height/shape) "is usually reported to be about 90%" (reconstructive).
- Brow lift. Direct incisional brow elevation, typically recommended for men, very heavy brows, receding hairlines, or patients wanting precise brow contour control (cosmetic, reconstructive).
- Revision/complex reconstruction. Treats complications from prior cosmetic surgery, including over-resected lower and upper eyelid skin that prevents proper eyelid closure (reconstructive).
- Also offered: entropion and retraction repair, lid weight implantation for facial paralysis/Bell's palsy, and canthopexy (named in gallery case descriptions).
Galleries (all on oculoplastics.woolfsoneye.com, checked 2026-09-30): a cosmetic photo gallery showing dozens of named preoperative cases (upper/lower blepharoplasty, ptosis repair, double eyelid/Asian blepharoplasty, canthopexy), an interactive pre-and-post gallery, a reconstruction photo gallery, and a clinical vignettes gallery (queued as "tales-from-the-youthful," the page is titled "Clinical Vignettes Gallery").
Other procedures
Cosmetic botulinum toxin (Botox) for forehead lines, glabellar lines and crow's feet, and for neurological eyelid/tear gland disorders; filler injections (Radiesse, Belotero, Juvederm, Restylane); pediatric oculoplastic surgery; thyroid eye disease management; orbital tumor surgery; tear drain reconstruction; and periocular reconstruction after skin cancer resection (dr-joseph-walrath, cosmetic).
Insurance and cost
The Fair Billing Practices page, written by Dr. Walrath, states that "the distinction between what is medical and what is cosmetic is sometimes blurred" in eyelid surgery billing, which draws audits from insurers and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. It describes ethical billing practices he follows (no upcoding, no unnecessary splitting of bilateral cases across separate days for reimbursement). The cosmetic gallery states some pictured procedures "were covered by insurance because they were undertaken to improve visual function" (fair-billing-practices, cosmetic-photo-gallery). No page states specific dollar prices for blepharoplasty or ptosis repair.
Practice
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Practice | Woolfson Eye Institute (Dr. Walrath's oculoplastics division) |
| Main address | 800 Mount Vernon Hwy NE, Suite 130, Atlanta, GA 30328 |
| Phone | 866-527-3722 |
| Website | https://oculoplastics.woolfsoneye.com/ (parent site: woolfsoneye.com) |
| Other offices | Cumming, GA, 1505 Northside Forsyth Dr, #1200; Lawrenceville, GA, 1980 Riverside Pkwy, #103; Gainesville, GA, 2061 Beverly Road |
Not verified: no Instagram, Facebook, YouTube or TikTok links were found on the fetched pages. No specific blepharoplasty or ptosis prices or day-by-day recovery statements were found.