Orbital dystopia causes most eye symmetries

Brent Moelleken, MD answers: What could've caused my uneven eyes?

Over the last few years, my right eye - relative to the horizontal position of the left - seems to have taken a hike down my face. It's started to droop as well. I've been wearing contacts for about 6 years.

My right eyebrow is perched higher than the left, and it's the only eyebrow I can cock - could it be that my right eyebrow muscles have distended due to overexertion, leading to a droopy appearance? This asymmetry is worsened by the fact that both eyes seem to be drooping from the bottom. I'm 20 yrs. old, if at all relevant.


Brent Moelleken, MD
1 month ago

Orbital dystopia refers to a difference in the set of the eyeball within the bony frame.  We all have it if you look closely.  Sometimes the bulgier eye tends to droop more quickly because of the unremitting pressure of the larger globe-like structure (the eyeball) on a weak lower eyelid.

In older patients (not you, you don;t need surgery for many years), we can perform a USIC(TM) (ultrashort incision cheeklift) to correct eye shape.  There are three nice examples in the paper referenced below on how we can correct eye shape due to prominent eyeballs, prior surgery, or natural downgoing canthus (corner of the eye), none of which you currently have.

Don't let an aggressive unscrupulous surgeon prey on your insecurities and leave you with an altered appearance.  I have seen it often enough.

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