Treat Droopy Eyelids with Everett & Hurite
Have you ever noticed that one of your eyelids is drooping? This condition is called ptosis and it is due to the muscles in your eyelids not being able to open the eyelid wide enough. When this occurs the eyelids block your vision and create a tired and aged appearance. Over time, ptosis might reduce your field of vision dramatically.
Dr. Charles Kent, MD and Dr. Anagha Medsinge, MD are highly regarded oculoplastic surgeons specializing in surgical procedures to repair ptosis. If you are living in the tri-state area and are experiencing drooping near your eyelids, please don’t hesitate to call or schedule an appointment online immediately.
Frequently Asked Question
What is Ptosis?
Ptosis is characterized by the drooping of one or both eyelids. In some cases, it might be barely noticeable, but usually, it is very pronounced and it interferes with your ability to see clearly.
What Causes Ptosis?
Ptosis could occur for various reasons, but aging is the most common one. Some babies are born with ptosis, while others develop ptosis suddenly after injury. disorders like Myasthenia gravis and Horner syndrome, also feature ptosis as part of their disease symptoms.
Your eyelids are drooping because the muscle is weak or has loosened from its attachment. The drooping eyelids block peripheral vision making driving more difficult. It also affects reading, and walking especially down the stairs or stepping off the curb. Sometimes people bump their heads on objects above them because they cannot see them. For children, it threatens normal visual development. The ptosis would need to be corrected in a timely fashion to restore vision.
How Is Ptosis Treated?
Dr. Charles Kent, MD and Dr. Anagha Medsinge, MD are our experts in oculoplastic surgery. They are experienced eye care professionals adept at diagnosing your eyelid position and the components affecting it. Each surgery has to be customized to fit the unique needs of each patient and this will allow Dr. Kent and Dr. Medsinge to achieve optimal results for you.
Before proceeding with the treatment, our doctors would first evaluate why the patient is seeking the treatment. Your doctor will review the surgical plan to correct the drooping eyelids and make it look proportional. For patients dealing with vision-related problems due to ptosis, eyelid surgery would be done in the first place to correct the drooping eyelids, followed up by addressing the remaining vision problems through other treatment methods or even corrective surgery. In most cases, the eyelid surgery will sufficiently remove the vision problem, and further treatment may not be necessary.
What is Dermatochalasis?
Dermatochalasis is characterized by loose, excessive skin around the eyelids. It causes a tired, aged look around your eye because the skin adjacent to your eyes does not have adequate elastin or collagen to hold it in place. The amount of collagen in the skin decreases with age leading to the breakdown of its fibers. As it loses its elasticity, the bulky portion of the eyelid droops over the eyelashes. This would perpetually block the field of vision of the patient and could cause irritation in the eyelid as well as the eye itself.
What is a Blepharoplasty?
A blepharoplasty is a surgical procedure to correct the drooping and sagging of the patient’s eyelids. During a blepharoplasty, our doctors would remove or redrape the excess skin, muscle, and fatty tissues over and around the eyes, to create a more natural and youthful-looking eyelid. This procedure to fix the upper eyelid is relatively straightforward and it affects only the surface layers of your skin and the soft tissues around the eye.
On the other hand, Blepharoplasty for the lower lids is complicated and requires more precision. The fat surrounding the eyes can protrude forward, right above the orbital bone, creating bags underneath the eyes. Regular exposure to light usually casts shadows underneath these bags, which creates dark circles under the eye and this makes people look aged and tired. Many surgeons would aggressively remove fat underneath the lower eyelid to eliminate these bags causing a complication. the lower eyelid becomes pulled down causing the eye to be too exposed and dry.
Our doctors have years of experience with various techniques to remove and redrape tissues into the depression between the upper cheek and the lower eyelids. This natural way of filling creates a smooth transition from the lower eyelid to the cheek, which will give you a healthier and more youthful appearance. In addition to that, the skin and muscle tissues are elevated and tightened to reduce skin wrinkles. Your insurance may cover the cost of surgery depending on the amount and severity of obstruction of vision fields by the drooping eyelids. However, lower eyelid blepharoplasty is very rarely considered a covered benefit.
