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Ptosis Eyelid Surgery

Drooping Eyelids

Ptosis is a drooping upper eyelid that is often treated with a corrective procedure. In this condition, the border of the eyelid (part that contains the lashes) falls too low and may partially block vision. In severe cases, the lid may completely cover the pupil and the patient has to tilt his or her head back to see. Mild Ptosis does not always require treatment. However, it seldom improves over time and usually requires corrective surgery.

Ptosis may be a congenital condition (present at birth) or the result of an injury or neuromuscular disease (e.g., myasthenia gravis). Ptosis that develops in adults is usually related to the long-term effects of gravity and aging, which cause the tendon that attaches the levator (lifting) muscle to the eyelid to lose elasticity.

Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)

In adults, the underlying cause is determined and treated, if possible. Corrective surgery shortens or tightens the levator muscle and lifts the upper eyelid. This surgery of the eyelid is called blepharoplasty. In cases where the levator muscle is especially weak, the eyelid and the eyebrow may be lifted. The procedure is usually performed under local anesthesia that numbs the area around the eye. It is preferable for the patient to be awake to help the surgeon gauge how high to lift the lid.

Young children are usually given general anesthesia. If Ptosis is not too severe, surgical correction is generally performed between the ages of 3 and 5. Ptosis that interferes with vision is corrected at a younger age to help avoid Amblyopia.

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