Dr. Paul Phelps is a board-certified oculofacial plastic surgeon and Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, specializing in complex reconstructive and cosmetic surgery of the eyelids, orbits, and surrounding facial structures. As the Founder and CEO of Chicago Oculofacial Plastic Surgery and Director of Oculofacial Plastic Surgery at Cook County Health, Dr. Phelps provides a rare combination of clinical precision, academic leadership, and extensive medico-legal expertise. His practice encompasses both aesthetic and functional oculoplastic surgery, including eyelid trauma, orbital fractures, thyroid eye disease, facial nerve injury, periocular malignancies, and complications from prior cosmetic or reconstructive procedures.

Dr. Phelps is board-certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and is a member of the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS), as well as multiple national and international surgical societies, including the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS). His dual fellowship training in Oculofacial Plastic Surgery (Albany Medical College) and Ophthalmic Pathology (University of Wisconsin–Madison) uniquely qualifies him to analyze and interpret complex periocular injuries and disease processes at both clinical and microscopic levels.

As an expert witness, Dr. Phelps offers consultation and testimony in matters involving eyelid surgery complications, blepharoplasty outcomes, orbital trauma, visual function impairment, facial cosmetic surgery negligence, periocular cancer management, and ocular surface or tear duct injuries. He has evaluated cases for both plaintiff and defense attorneys, providing objective, evidence-based assessments grounded in over a decade of surgical experience and academic publication.

A Clinical Assistant Professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Dr. Phelps is deeply engaged in medical education and research. He has authored or co-authored more than 45 peer-reviewed publications, multiple book chapters, and contributions to the Atlas of Clinical Emergency Medicine and Springer’s Compendium of Oculofacial, Orbital and Lacrimal Surgery. His research spans orbital and eyelid oncology, thyroid eye disease, trauma reconstruction, and periocular cosmetic surgery safety, and his findings have been published in leading journals such as Ophthalmology, Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and The American Journal of Cosmetic Surgery.

Dr. Phelps has served as a scientific reviewer for JAMA Ophthalmology, the American Journal of Ophthalmology, and Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He sits on several national committees, including the ASOPRS Oral Board Examiner Committee and the American Academy of Ophthalmology EyeWiki Editorial Board, reflecting his leadership and authority within the specialty.

His expertise extends to reconstructive outcomes following trauma, complications of blepharoplasty and ptosis repair, orbital decompression for thyroid eye disease, and injectable filler or implant-related injury. He also provides consultation for facial trauma litigation, ocular adnexal tumors, postoperative infection or scarring, and vision-threatening surgical complications. Dr. Phelps has delivered national presentations through ASOPRS and the American Academy of Ophthalmology and has been recognized with awards including the Physician Excellence Award (NorthShore University HealthSystem) and the Fulbright Scholarship for international ophthalmic research.

Dr. Phelps brings clarity, credibility, and academic rigor to each case he reviews. His expert witness services include case review, written opinion, deposition, and trial testimony, ensuring that medical facts are accurately represented and comprehensible to both legal professionals and juries.