What is ptosis?

Ptosis, or droopy eyelids, means that your eyelids hang over your eyes. This can impair your vision and lead to other complications. The condition can be congenital or acquired later in life and treatment options are available. If ptosis is affecting you, see your eye care professional to discuss the options available.

What are the Types of Ptosis?

Ptosis can affect both children and adults.

Congenital ptosis: Congenital ptosis means that your child was born with this condition. Problems with the development of the levator muscle cause congenital ptosis.

Acquired ptosis: This type of ptosis affects people later in life. It occurs when your levator muscle weakens or separates from your eyelid.

What are the causes of ptosis?

The causes of ptosis depend on the type. Some babies are born with ptosis of one or both eyelids (congenital ptosis).

If the muscles or ligaments that normally lift your eyelid are weakened by injury or illness, ptosis can occur later in life (acquired ptosis). Sometimes the drooping is the result of damage to the nerves that control your eyelid muscles.

Diseases and conditions that can result in ptosis include:

• Stye.
• Horner’s syndrome.
• Myasthenia gravis.
• Stroke.
• Tumor.
• External ophthalmoplegia.

Most ptosis occurs with aging. As you get older, the skin and muscles of your eyelids stretch and weaken. Sometimes a previous eye surgery accelerates this change because the instruments used to keep your eye open during surgery can stretch your eyelid.

What happens if ptosis is not treated?

If your child has congenital ptosis, the sooner you get it treated, the better. If left untreated, it can affect vision development and lead to other problems. Mild acquired ptosis is less likely to cause vision problems and you may not need to seek treatment. However, severe ptosis can cause serious complications if left untreated. Complications of ptosis may include:

Astigmatism: When your eyelid presses against the front of your eye, it can change the shape of your eye. This can cause distortion of your vision (your vision may be stretched or wavy).

Amblyopia: Astigmatism and other refractive errors (focusing problems due to the need for glasses) can cause amblyopia or lazy eye.

Chin-up position: When your child has to tilt their chin up to see beyond drooping eyelids, this can cause neck problems, strained forehead muscles and developmental delays.

How do you identify ptosis? How is Ptosis Diagnosed?

Ptosis can typically be detected by the appearance of a drooping eyelid. If both eyelids are affected, it can be more difficult to diagnose. You might be referred to an eye specialist (ophthalmologist) who will perform an eye exam and may order additional tests.

What tests are done to diagnose this condition?

Tests your doctor may perform include the following:

• Slit lamp examination.
• Visual field testing.
• Ocular motility (eye movement) test.
• Tensilon test (the drug Tensilon, also known as edrophonium, is used to diagnose myasthenia gravis).

Can ptosis occur after other eye surgeries?

Postoperative ptosis is a multifactorial condition that can develop temporarily due to eyelid edema, eyelid or intraorbital hematoma, ocular inflammation and neurogenic causes, but permanent ptosis can also occur as a result of dehiscence or disinsertion of the levator aponeurosis. Ptosis can also develop after refractive surgery such as cataract surgery or LASIK.

Is treatment of ptosis urgent?

If the condition does not affect your vision and the appearance does not bother you, you may not need treatment at all. If ptosis is causing a problem with vision, appearance or both, your eye care professional may recommend treatment. The type of treatment depends on whether the ptosis is caused by a disease or aging.

Who should people with ptosis consult?

Your ophthalmologist will determine the type of ptosis based on your medical history and the results of any comprehensive eye examination the doctor may have performed. You may then be referred to an oculoplastic specialist – an ophthalmologist with advanced training in plastic surgery of the eye and surrounding areas.

How is ptosis treated?

Treatment for ptosis usually depends on how well your eyelid muscles are working. If the condition does not affect your vision and the appearance does not bother you, you may not need treatment.

If ptosis is causing a problem with vision, appearance or both, your eye care professional may recommend treatment. The type of treatment depends on whether the ptosis is caused by a disease or aging. Treatment for ptosis caused by aging usually involves surgery.

How many types of ptosis surgery are there?

Ptosis surgery is performed under local anesthesia with sedation (you are awake but do not feel the procedure). The types of surgery to repair droopy lids include the following:

Your surgeon makes an incision in the skin of your upper eyelid. This allows the surgeon to find the small muscle that lifts your eyelid. The surgeon places sutures to tighten this muscle and lift your eyelid. The incision in the skin of your eyelid is then closed up with more stitches.

The surgeon may perform the entire surgery inside your eyelid. In this case, your surgeon will turn your eyelid and tighten the muscle from underneath. No skin incision is required for this approach.

After surgery, your surgeon will explain how to take care of your eye. It is important to come back to your doctor after surgery so they can check your results. Appointments are usually scheduled for a few days to a week after surgery.

What are the complications of ptosis treatment?

Complications can occur after ptosis surgery. Immediately after surgery, your eyelid height and shape may be asymmetrical. Your surgeon may have undercorrected or overcorrected your condition, which will improve over time.

Other complications of ptosis surgery include:

• Bleeding from the wound.
• Infection of the surgical site.
• Damage to your cornea.
• Incomplete or abnormal closure of your eyelids.
• Recurrent (returning) ptosis.
• In experienced hands, these complications are almost non-existent.

Can Ptosis be Prevented?

You cannot prevent congenital ptosis because it is present at birth (your baby is born with it). Most acquired causes of ptosis are also difficult to prevent.

What is the prognosis for ptosis?

The prognosis for ptosis depends on the type and severity of the condition. If you need surgery, the prognosis is usually good. Most surgeries to correct drooping eyelids are very successful.

I have ptosis, when should I see a doctor?

If this condition affects your appearance and bothers you, you should see your eye care professional.

If one eyelid suddenly starts to droop or close.

If you have double vision or pain.

If your child has ptosis, they should see an ophthalmologist right away to assess their condition. Sometimes, their doctor may recommend treatment right away to prevent problems with vision development. Whether they receive treatment right away or later, they should see an eye doctor regularly to monitor their vision with regular eye exams.

What should I ask my doctor about my ptosis?

How did I get ptosis?

How serious is my condition?

Do I need treatment? What treatment options do you recommend?

Do I need surgery? What are the possible complications of surgery?

Can ptosis recur?

What kind of anesthesia is used for ptosis surgery and how long does it take?

Ptosis surgery is ideally performed under local anesthesia. Patient-doctor communication and control of the lid level during the surgery is very useful. However, since it is not possible to apply local anesthesia in patients who cannot communicate and in pediatric patients, general anesthesia is used. The surgery takes approximately 30 to 50 minutes.

Are there cases where ptosis surgery is not suitable?

In patients with severe dry eye disease where the eyelid cannot close, ptosis correction may not be performed or less correction may be performed because dryness may cause problems in protecting the eye surface.

What are the average prices for droopy eyelid (ptosis) correction?

Eyelid ptosis (ptosis) prices vary according to the accompanying problems of the patients and the intervention to be performed. You need to be examined for the most accurate price information. However, you can contact us at +90 544 106 44 43 to find out the general price of droopy eyelid (ptosis) correction and for more information about droopy eyelid (ptosis) in Ankara.

We wish you a healthy day.

What are the Risk Factors for Ptosis (droopy eyelid)?

One of the most important risk factors that will cause the formation of ptosis is the use of contact lenses. Contact lens use can damage the muscle that lifts the eyelid over time and cause ptosis.

Also, excessive rubbing of the eyelid can cause the muscle that lifts the eyelid to separate from the main adherent area over time.

What Causes Unilateral Ptosis (droopy eyelid)?

The following five diseases should be remembered in asymmetric ptosis:

1- 3^rd nerve palsy

2- Horner Syndrome

3- Myasthenia Graves

4- Chronic Progressive External Ophthalmoplegia

5- Malignancy or infection