Marilyn Leisz Claims She Was Misled By Dr. Paul Parker

PATERSON, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — A jury is deliberating the case of a New Jersey woman who says an eyelid procedure gone wrong is the reason she can no longer close her eyes.

Marilyn Leisz said she went to a Bergen County plastic surgeon to correct bumps on her eyelids from a cosmetic procedure performed by another doctor and now she can’t fully close her eyes — even when she sleeps.

PHOTOS: Celebrity Plastic Surgery Gone Bad

“…To blink I really have to really squeeze my eyes to … fully close my eyes,” Leisz told CBS 2’s Christine Sloan.

The married mother of two from Bloomingdale was in court Tuesday suing Dr. Paul Parker for negligence. Parker’s attorney told the jury Leisz was warned of the risks and that she never complained after the 2005 eyelid surgery called a blepharoplasty.




Leisz said she has to use gel at night and a vaporizer so she doesn’t scratch her eyes. She also says she’s losing her vision and lives in fear of injuring her eyes.

“All the favorite things I used to, like tennis, racquetball, swimming, horseback riding, bike riding, skeet shooting, gardening, I can’t do those things,” Leisz said.

Leisz admitted to having multiple other procedures before going to Dr. Parker, but said she may be able to correct the problem but she’s afraid to go under the knife.

Leisz is asking the jury for an unspecified amount of money. Deliberations resume Wednesday.


Comments (238)
  1. ragu4u says:

    Shoulda left well enough alone!

  2. anne bright says:

    Americans are much more obsessed with looks than brains! We are more interested in the lives of disfunctional movie stars, having electronic gadgets, spending money, living beyond our means, than we are in admiring great inventors, good, hones, hard working, successful people, wonderful mothers and fathers, and our CORE values upon which America was founded. One should be clean, dress appropriately (not like a tramp), be neat, polite, and learn to love wrinkles. They are a symbol of wisdom. Nothing wrong with having a chin implant for a receding chin, or a too large or deformed nose made more pleasing, or straight teeth, but the obsession with every wrinkle or grey hair consumes too much time and energy. We are NOT getting out of this life alive! Better to work on one’s character and education than go under the knife for silly reasons.

    1. Ellen says:

      Well said!I agree completely.

      1. Cherie says:

        I second that!

  3. donttreadonme says:

    You can squeeze your eyes shut, so get used to blinking differently. Alot of your difficulty is controlled by you. Since we are all imperfect beings, maybe you should draw the line here, and accept yourself as imperfect. And that applies to the skills of the physician as well. Don’t ask for more than you can offer. By the way, glancing downward makes it much easier to blink. Try it.

    1. donttreadonme says:

      Addendum: “All the favorite things I used to, like tennis, racquetball, swimming, horseback riding, bike riding, skeet shooting, gardening, I can’t do those things” I have to ask after reading this list; are you producing anything of value in your life?

      1. Red dawn says:

        Well it depends – my daughter read the same things a box of cotex. She can even swim and go kayaking, she’s so happy.

  4. Kathleen says:

    The patient signed a form prior to surgery acknowledging the risks; the doctor took a risk in taking on a patient who should have been seeking the services of a psychiatrist Vs a PS.

    Unfortunately, our judicial system is set up so that a plastic surgery junkie is the one who has recourse. Hopefully the jury will see through this and then both the patient and the doctor will win in that they both learned a lesson.

  5. mitch says:

    You can’t really protect people from themselves….

  6. Carly says:

    There is nothing wrong with wanting to look your best. And there’s nothing wrong with having a nip and tuck. Some people just take it to extremes. For the doctor to NOW say she was not a good candidate for the surgery because she had too many procedures makes him look greedy. If he thinks that now..why didn’t he think that way before he took her money and performed the surgery.
    Also, on why she may have waited so long to bring the suit is probably because she was told to give it time and her lids would loosen. Plus it takes time for a suit to get to court.

    1. nilofc says:

      Wrong. There is definitely something wrong in mutilating your body just to look good. Why can’t they just be happy the way they are? This twisted society defined beauty in terms of skin-deep manipulation of their aging bodies.

      Learn how to love who you are and for who you are not.

    2. satchmo says:

      It wasn’t the surgeon who said she had to many procedures to be a good candidate, it was a doctor her attorney found. I’m a nurse, and I see alot of people who sleep with their eyes open, weird, but it doesn’t seem to bother them. I think someone told her she looks like a freak when she sleeps, so now she’s trying to blame the plastic surgeon!

    3. mrfic says:

      The plantiff hired the attorney to say the patient wasnt a good surgical candidate. The doctor who performed the surgery thought she was a candidate at the time of surgery.

      I’m a doctor (not involved in this case), and I can assure you that edema should be fully resolved within weeks to a couple of months. I takes 90 days to file an intent to sue and for the defense to get started. Most states require this to be done prior to 2 years from the event.

  7. Mike says:

    “…she wasn’t a good candidate for this surgery because she had had too many other procedures.”

    You’re so vain
    You probably think this song is about you
    Don’t you? Don’t you?

    1. H. E. Vincent says:

      Very good sir- and right on the money.
      A vain, and frightened to age gracefully harridan.

  8. cj says:

    easy solution: age gracefully

    i’ve never understood this facination with plasitic surgery anyway. why would you want to change your face or body? that and your thoughts are the only things that are truly yours…

  9. Sarah says:

    If this woman had so many surgeries, why would Dr. Parker take her as a patient if there was a risk. He was greedy for the money. He made a mistake, now he should pay so she can afford to have it corrected by someone else.

    1. H. E. Vincent says:

      If he was greedy, okay, we’ll go with that. But madam, what about the vanity and stupidity of his afraid-to-gow-old patient?
      You sometimes gets what you pay fer! (and sometimes you get what you deserve).

    2. Ken says:

      He was trying to fix someone else’s mistake! With any surgery there is RISK. I am a doc I know.

  10. Brian says:

    Throw the dice and take the knife?
    Accept the price may be your life.

  11. MMA says:

    No one knows why people do what they do or why so many of us have warped images of ourselves. Perhaps it has to do with what we see on TV and what our role models are in magazines. But that is all besides the point here because the real question is – did the doctor cut too much skin – if that’s the case, then it doesn’t matter who the person is or what her motives are – negligence is negligence. This is a service she paid for and a service that the dr advertises for and is he is suppose to be as careful with someone who is having the surgery as an elective or for medical reasons – period. After all he can be found negligent and it really is up to the jury whether they want to award $0 or $100k or $1M and that is where the other issues come in to play.

  12. knuckle-draggin' and cuddly says:

    Whew! When I read the headline my first impulse was; “Oh no, Nancy Pelosi just got one facelift TOO MANY”. But when I clicked to the full article I was SO relieved to discover this happened to a mere commoner. So, no big deal, at least it wasn’t Queen Nancy.

  13. Chris says:

    As another commenter brought up, it is curious that the plaintiff would wait years to go to trial. It might take a year to eighteen months for a lawsuit to finally go to trial, but not five years. Seems like the recession may have done her or her husband in.

    And, just because this woman was damaged does not mean Dr. Parker was negligent. The plaintiff must prove his care fell below professional standards. And, the woman can actually close here eyes, it is just more difficult.

    Anyway, I generally agree with most of the other commenters that this woman is a self-absorbed freak. But, if her doctor was negligent, then he ought to pay damages.

    1. MMA says:

      the lawsuit has to be filed within 2 years so obviously she filed it within 2 years of the surgery. However, the time it takes to prep the case and get a trial date can be anywhere from 2 to 5 years after suit is filed! believe it or not – it can be a frustrating system

    2. Ned says:

      5 years to get to trial has noting to do with the woman who is suing! The court system is slowwwww, my friend. criminal cases get all the resources and the attention.

  14. carol joyce says:

    Obsession with physical perfection combined with a dependence on second rate unethical physicians is just a reflection of today’s bourgeoise. This mother of two should be investing in her children’s lives by teaching them to accept themselves they way they are, not setting an irrational and fruitless drive for perfection example for them. She needs psych help before her children suffer if they have not already. Sad.

    1. icetrout says:

      We all get old & ugly then we die.For all you skin-stretch addicts ,the more you stretch your face’ the more we laugh 2 you 😛

  15. Pam says:

    I have had eye lid surgery. I had very droopy eyelids when I was just 40 and was afraid it would start to impair my vision. I saw how my Mom’s eyelids drooped as she got older and knew what was in store for me. I don’t consider myself vain because I had cosmetic surgery. (Of course there is a point when you have so many surgeries it becomes almost silly) I researched doctors and chose one that only does facial surgery. My outcome was wonderful with no complications. I was told all the possible complications including the little bumps that may be on the scars. I was told it was a simple procedure to get rid of those. It sounds like her procedure to remove them was not that simple. Maybe she should have had the doctor that did her original surgery remove the bumps. Research is the key to a good outcome. Also there are specialists in plastic surgey. I don’t want someone that does mostly boob jobs operating on my face.

  16. Steve says:

    Is it me or is this chick a dead ringer for Holly on “The Office?”

  17. justpassingthru says:

    Everybody is commenting on how this woman had too many surgeries – no doubt it is true… but this doctor should be accountable for feeding her addiction too. Lots of doctors seem to push unnecessary tests, procedures, surgeries … she was probably a gold mine for cosmetic surgeons

  18. Dutra says:

    You need to have some sense slapped into you. That will both open and close your eyes.

  19. SubjectoftheUSSA says:

    Hey idiot, that’s why you don’t get your eye lids workd on by a plastic surgeon

  20. george hayduke lll says:

    This surgery was 2005. If she truly had a problem with coverage of her cornea,she could have had it resolved with a replacement of some skin in 2006. Therefore,this is clearly money hungry patient/attorney fraud

  21. KC says:

    Looks like Pelosi. I bet she can’t close her eyes either.

    1. tom says:

      Is there some type of surgery available to shut Nancy`s mouth?

      1. cj says:

        i’ve got some fishing line, and a needle. that should do the trick!

      2. nilofc says:

        A brain transplant might be a little too steep of a price…but I’ll pay for it. I’d work hard all the days of my life for her to take the procedure.

  22. Wondering says:

    Two questions–
    1) Why so many surgeries to begin with?
    2) Why complain after FIVE years? Is it just now bothering you?

  23. Big Tom says:

    Plastic surgery was meant to correct major deformities not to enhance a vain individuals looks. I can’t feel sorry for her.

    1. TX Mike says:

      LOL. Best comment!

    2. Misty Milloy says:

      You are right ! Any surgery is a risk. She chose to have “vanity” surgery, ut
      was not needed to save her life. I hope the Doc wins.

  24. Joan Rivers says:

    Welcome to my world, Marilyn. I haven’t shut my eyes since 1995. You look like a corpse, by the way.

  25. Connie Hubbard Reagan says:

    I have a friend who had a procedure like this for medical reasons and the same thing happened to her. It was horrible. This is NOT THAT UNCOMMON.

  26. Eric P Turner says:

    how about you stop messing with your body, its called vanity, people that do this to them selves get no sympathy from me that’s for sure.

  27. Lucy says:

    Why is everyone commenting on this woman’s choice to get plastic surgery. This case is not about how many times she had surgery or how vain she is. It is about a claim by a patient that her doctor was negligent. If she can prove that the doctor did something wrong/negligent during the surgery to cause this then why shouldn’t she be compensated. If you went to a dentist for a cleaning and the dentist fractured a tooth, wouldn’t you want him to fix it at no cost or pay you to get it fixed else where. Come one people, stop judging this based on her history of plastic surgery.

    1. RMS says:

      One word “Elective”, you pee’d in your bed, now lay in it. This woman needs to own up to her mistakes.

  28. joe says:

    That is what can happen when you fool with mother nature for no good reason.

  29. old wise man says:

    I’m confident this surgeon explained the risks to this pillar of self absorption. Had he refused to perform the procedure she might have wound up under the scalpel of a less qualified doctor. God knows what that outcome might have been.

  30. Dana says:

    This, my friends, is exactly why God gave us wrinkles (and opposable thumbs, but that’s another story).

  31. eye surgeon says:

    This is a complication of blepharoplasty that is seen quite commonly. It is not clear from the report, but it sounds like Dr. Parker was attempting to correct scar tissue from a prior eyelid surgery. This complication, lagopthalmos, would be the first thing I would discuss with a potential patient. I cannot imagine it was not.

    Just looking at the patient I can tell she has had multiple facial procedures. This is exactly the type of patient I would be very wary of working on as they are rarely satisfied no matter what you do and simply incapable of understanding that complications are part of surgery.

    The good news is that this problem can be corrected. I would encourage this patient to seek out an oculoplastic surgeon who has experience in dealing with blepharoplasty complications instead of wasting her time in court.

    1. Alex says:

      You need to know the correct spelling. It is LAGOPHTHALMOS

      1. littleleers says:

        And you Alex, need to understand what a typo is…..eye surgeon gave a good explanation….are you saying you are smarter?

      2. Flicka says:

        I think a lesbian dinosuar is a lickalotapuss

  32. DoubleEdge says:

    this is what you get for your excessive vanity. ridiculous. she should be required to pay this doctor’s attorney’s fees!

  33. KC says:

    Vanity does have a price… Any cosmetic claims should be thrown out of court. Send her to help in Japan for wasting good air time!!

  34. knowyourlimits says:

    I also was operated on by Dr. Parker twice cosmetic as well as medically. He and his staff are wonderful and would go back if necessary without giving it a second thought. I too feel sorry for this lady, but how many procedures can one expect to have. Her injuries and pain in my opinion were without a doubt self inflicted. I have so much faith in Dr. Parker, that I will be taking my daughter to see him next month.

    1. Stevo says:

      your poor daughter…already getting hacked up.

  35. Terry says:

    I would rather have one of those Japanese robot women than be associated with a freak like this woman.

  36. Matt says:

    Absolutely zero sympathy, you vain pig.

  37. Toady says:

    Minor cosmetic surgery does look fine. It’s when people have too much or go to extremes that they look like freaks.

  38. MadeleineT says:

    I can’t imagine having any procedures done on my eylids, how firightening, now look , she is a pretty woman , why blow it.? All you have to do is look at Joan Rivers and people like that and you know that could be you , that should end any thoughts of plastic surgery, to risk your eyesight to look a little younger or better is really stupid, what happens if she goes blind, what difference is anything going to mske then?

  39. IrishEyesAreBlue says:


  40. george hayduke lll says:

    I am a plastic surgeon, and this possible problem could be corrected by replacing some of the deficient skin.
    I saw “possible problem” because anyone could stage a photo like this.try it at home “proves “nothing.
    it is also possible that her brow was pulled too high,contibuting to this effect

    1. george hayduke lll says:

      Also notice the lack of natural expression lines,the pinched nose,and the discontinuity between the appearance of the lower face and neck. This patient has had too much “work” and is starting to look embalmed.

  41. Stone says:

    duct tape….it can fix anything…!!!

    1. big jeff says:


  42. gg says:

    So this woman can afford and enjoy to be fixed up, in this looks obsessed world WHY NOT yes she is entitled to sue! Doctors that are incompetent can due great harm!

  43. yo maricone says:

    you are not cougar
    why elect plastic surgery

    1. kyriaki belostock says:


  44. bubble51 says:

    Why do people feel like they need surgery when it is not necessary?

    1. ANN says:


  45. Tami Richman says:

    I had a breast reduction/breast lift performed by Dr. Parker a couple of years ago. The results were horrific. One breast was left significantly smaller than the other one, the nipples were in the wrong places, and they still sagged. I am sympathetic to this woman’s plight and to others who have suffered at the hand of Dr. Parker.

    1. SayWhat says:

      WAY too much information.

    2. TX Mike says:

      Nasty lady you are

  46. Rene says:

    Myself and my mom had surgery by Dr. Parker both medically necessary and he was a wonderful Dr. Very thorough, explained everything and was very professional. Great Dr.

  47. 2taut says:

    I mean no disrespect, but I dont feel bad for this woman. Its quite obvious this wasnt her first “plastic” (in every sense of the word) surgery, if that had been the case, I might be a bit more sympathetic. How many times does she think she can be cut, stretched, injected and God knows what else, before she starts to look like a freak? This womans entire life is filled with nothing but “herself.” At this point she needs a magician more then she does a plastic surgeon. She made the decisions to have these procedures done knowing the risks and yet that didnt stop her, it was her bad choice, this was an elective procedure.

  48. irving penn says:

    wow sad

  49. Truth says:

    Your stupid decision to have surgery. Live with it. Every surgery has risk even the simple ones.

  50. Bonnie B. B. Bruno says:

    I was also operated on by Dr. Parker numerous times for breast cancer surgery reconstruction. He left me with one breast 3 inches higher than the other and one breast pointed outwards to the left. One side is larger than the other. I was told I waited too long to file litigation. My last surgery for this was June 2005. Please feel free to contact me Mrs. Leisz. I would love to support you or testify for you. I have also called channel 2 news today about this.

    1. Just asking says:

      Why did you wait so long to file? Five years is a long time to decide you’re unhappy with the results.

    2. winston says:

      who cares about your tits.are you cancer free?

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