Procedure | Surgical
Eye Ptosis Surgery
Ptosis is a medical condition where the upper eyelid of individual droops. Hence, surgery is the correction of droopy eyelids. For more severe cases, droopy eyelids can cover part of the pupil, reducing one’s peripheral vision. In the longer term, may lead to headaches and fatigue as they try to raise their brows to compensate for the droop. A droopy eyelid can also cause them to look inattentive, tired, and angry. While droopy eyelid could be a cause of a wide range of factors such as aging, trauma, developmental issues, medical conditions and etc.
Ptosis surgery is then the correction of the issue. There are two primary ptosis surgery techniques doctors use. The general and the sling technique. The general involves tightening the levator muscle while the sling technique involves using the frontalis muscle to lift the eyelid.
Before your eyelid surgery:
• Stop taking warfarin and any other medication or herbal supplement associated with increased bleeding.
• Quit smoking several weeks before your surgery.
• Arrange for someone to drive you to and from surgery and stay with you for the first night.
During the procedure
• Your surgeon injects numbing medication into your eyelids and administers intravenous medication to help you relax.
• The surgeon generally works on your upper lids first. Cutting along the fold of the eyelid, removes some excess skin, muscle and possibly fat, and closes the cut.
• Typically lasts from 45 minutes to 2 hours.
Right after the treatment, do expect a vision to be blurred. It is best to keep the eye moist and well lubricated. A padded dressing may be placed to reduce swelling and should be left on till the end of day 1. Do follow your doctor’s homecare steps to prevent dryness and irritation. Some sore and pain are normal. If you experience very sharp pain, poor vision, and excessive bleeding, do check with your doctor right away.
You will need a follow-up appointment to ensure healing is on track and stitches may be removed.
Scarring is usually minimal.
Once you are home, you should follow the instructions give to you.
Ointment and eyedrops to ensure eyes are kept moist. At day 5, you can expect to begin washing the eyelids gently. Typically, your first follow up appointment should be a week postoperative.
It is generally recommended to take 10 days off work to rest. Avoid rubbing your eyes, until complete healing. At the two-month mark, minimal swelling is still possible. At the three-month mark, the person should be fully healed. Swimming and not advised for the first couple of weeks. When showering, try to keep the eye area dry for the first 5 days. If they do get wet, pat dry with clean cotton. Do refrain from heavy and strenuous exercise until you have recovered. Protect your eyes from the sun.
Rare, but there may be a small risk of loss of eyelid movement. Poor lid crease, overcorrection, and asymmetry eyelids are also other potential side effects.
