What to Do for Ptosis of the Eyelid?

I had upper/ lower blepharoplasty about 6 years ago. Ptosis was present, but the doctor did not mention the ptosis as a problem separate from the other eye work. I thought my droopy lid would be addressed by the surgery. For a couple of years it was. Now it's back to drooping to the point where I look "off". I consulted a surgeon that does excellent ptosis work, but he said the ptosis isn't enough (yet) that he could work on. I've read about eyedrops. Are they a viable solution for now?

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4 Doctor Answers | Asked by 5321anon in Concord

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Eye drops for ptosis

Eye drops can only work for mild ptosis and are temporary. Follow your surgeon's advice or seek another opinion.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Recurrent Ptosis

Communication between Surgeon and patient is extremely important. From your description it is not clear if your surgeon recognized the ptosis before surgery and obtained your permission to address it OR you assumed he would "I thought my droopy lid would be addressed by the surgery". As to the second surgeon's reluctance to correct your ptosis, I suspect either he was not comfortable performing such a repair or you may have insisted he petition your insurance... more

Ptosis

If you have ptosis of the actual eyelid, then there are drops that can help lift the lid in some circumstances. If you have ptosis of the skin on the eyelid (the actual lid position is normal but the skin is hanging over) then you may need surgery to remove the extra skin. There are criteria for insurance to cover such a surgery. The doctor may mean that you do not meet that criteria yet. Good luck.

A photograph would be very helpful

Ptosis is very common. There is a sharp distinction between cosmetic eyelid surgery and ptosis surgery for a simple reason. The vast majority of eyelid surgeon performing cosmetic eyelid surgery are only vaguely familiar with the anatomy of the eyelid. Removing skin and fat from an eyelid is not too technically challenging. Repairing eyelid ptosis is a whole other matter. The surgeon has to have mastery of the deeper eyelid anatomy to identify the tendon that... more