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Is Ptosis Surgery Part of a Blepharoplasty or is It a Separate Procedure?

asked 1 year ago by Leo84 in East Coast
Latest answer by Kris M. Reddy, MD, FACS
Question viewed 977 times
Tags: ptosis, combination, costs

i've seen a couple of eye PS in NC and have been told that these are two separate surgeries with separate costs. Additionally I was told there has to be medical reason for the lift not just cosmetic. I'm wondering if in California where PS is commonplace, if these surgeries are one in the same and/or if medical reason is also necessary. If they are one in the same would my paperwork just state upper blepharoplasty or would it have to be noted as two separate surgeries?

21 answers to Is Ptosis Surgery Part of a Blepharoplasty or is It a Separate Procedure?

Is Ptosis Surgery Part of a Blepharoplasty or is It a Separate Procedure?

Ptosis repair and Blepharoplasty are seperate procedures. Ptosis repair raises the eyelid height by tightening the muscles that elevate the eyelid. Blepharoplasty involves removing excess skin and/or fat. Insurance can cover these procedures if medically indicated. Often the ptosis repair is covered and the blepharoplasty is cosmetic. This will depend on your eyelid examination. If, as you stated, the paperwork says blepharoplasty is covered... more

Sam Goldberger, MD
Beverly Hills Oculoplastic Surgeon

www.neweyelids.com

Ptosis surgery answer by a DC oculoplastic surgeon

Ptosis surgery is in fact different from a blepharoplasty. In ptosis surgery the eyelid muscle is weak and needs to be lifted and tightened. In a blepharoplasty there is extra skin that needs to be removed. Two different procedures in the same location. Patients often think that the eyelid is lifted by removing skin which is not true. The eyelid is lifted by tightening the muscle under the skin. Hope that helps.

Chris Thiagarajah, MD
Washington DC Oculoplastic Surgeon

Ptosis surgery is NOT part of a blepharoplasty

Ptosis surgery is needed if the muscles of the upper eyelid are weak, whereas blepharoplasty refers to the need to remove extra skin and fat for medical or cosmetic reasons. The two procedures are unquestionably distinct and not part of one another. Nevertheless, the procedures may be performed at the same time BUT only by experienced oculo-facial plastic surgeons. You would NEVER want any other specialist to do a ptosis repair although many specialties do perform... more

Lawrence Kass, MD
Saint Petersburg Oculoplastic Surgeon

www.kassmd.com

Blepharoplasty versus Ptosis Repair

Upper lid blepharoplasty is a surgical procedure to remove extra skin and fat of the upper eyelid = dermatochalasis. This can be cosmetic or functional meaning that there is enough extra skin and fat that it affects the superior field of vision. Ptosis repair is a surgical procedure to correct low eyelid height which is resulting in loss of superior field of vision. Ptosis repair can be deemed by some insurance companies as being cosmetic if the eyelid height isn't... more

Keshini Parbhu, MD
Orlando Oculoplastic Surgeon

www.orlandoeyeopener.com

Ptosis repair and blepharoplasty

These are two different things, that happen to be in the same area. Blepharoplasty is the removal of the eyelid skin and/or fat. It is typically a cosmetic procedure. Ptosis repair is one of a variety of procedures to re-adjust the level of your eyelid, often by shortening and suturing the lid-opening structures. It is typically a functional (insurance) procedure. Good luck with your surgery.

Thomas Fiala, MD
Altamonte Springs Plastic Surgeon

Ptosis can be covered under some insurance plans.

As noted by the responding surgeons... Ptosis repair is usually considered medically necessary surgery and may be convered by insurance. Blepharoplasty surgery may be covered if severe restriction in visual fields is noted. Predetermination of benefits may help to answer your questions but does not guarantee that your procedures will be paid by the insurance company

Richard Gentile, MD
Cleveland Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.facialplastics.org

Ptosis Repair and Blepharoplasty

Ptosis, also known as blepharoptosis, is a drooping of the eyelid. Correction of this condition usually requires surgery on the muscles and tendon located within the eyelid. Blepharoplasty is a term used to describe surgery for removal of excess skin and fat from the eyelid. In most cases the eyelid height is unchanged following surgery. Although a single incision on the outside of the eyelid can be used to perform both surgeries, ptosis repair and blepharoplasty... more

Adam J. Cohen, MD
Skokie Oculoplastic Surgeon

Blepharoplasty and ptosis repair are separate procedures

Blepharoplasty involves removing skin, fat, and or muscle and does not include eyelid ptosis repair. Ptosis repair is done to tighten the upper eyelid muscle and raise a droopy eyelid. In some cases, this can improve your vision in the upper visual fields, and if so, your insurance may help cover the costs of the procedure, esepecially if your droopy eyelids cover your pupil. If you do the bleph and the ptosis at the same time, your costs would be less than if you did them at two... more

Jonathan Hoenig, MD
Beverly Hills Oculoplastic Surgeon

Blepharoplasty and Blepharoptosis

Blepharoptosis repair is considered distinctly separate from blepharoplasty. The former is primarily a muscle and tendon operation whereas the second is a skin and fat procedure

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Ptosis Surgery is a Separate Procedure from Blepharoplasty

Ptosis describes a condition whereby the eyelid "window-shades" the pupil, which the functions as the light aperture for the eye. The causes can be congenital, or more commonly, age related. The levator aponeurosis, which effectively lifts the eyelid can become stretched, attenuated, or undergo fatty degeneration over time. This leads to a less optimal baseline eyelid position, obstructing the superior visual field. Ptosis is commonly seen in conjunction with... more

Stephen Prendiville, MD
Fort Myers Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.drprendiville.com

Is Ptosis Surgery Part of a Blepharoplasty or is It a Separate Procedure?

In strict medical terms the excess skin or the upper eyelid (blepharochalsis) is not the same as laxity of the position of the upper eyelid at rest (ptosis). But they can be inter related. Best to "see" a boarded surgeon to examine your eyelids and their function. Than explain your specific condition. As to whether your surgery would be insurance covered, over the internet without photos or an examination IMPOSSIBLE to answer. From MIAMI Dr. Darryl J. Blinski

Darryl J. Blinski, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Blepharoplasty VS Eyelid Ptosis Repair

Improving the appearance of the eyelids surgically is termed Blepharoplasty. Doing so does not improve the function of the eyelids in the least. Sagging of the eyelids is not attractive but becomes functionally significant only when it starts significantly interferring with the person's vision. While Plastic surgeons can correct all degrees of eyelid ptosis (sagging), medical insurance companies, if the pay, will only pay for the repair of very advanced vision impairing lid sagging. If... more

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

It's complicated

Ptosis or droopiness can be due to the brow position, heaviness of the eyelid tissues and/or "intrinsic" ptosis due to poor function of the eyelid lifting muscle itself. Typically eyelid surgery does not involve correction of "intrinsic" ptosis as that is a more specialized procedure and not commonly needed. It will be up to your surgeon to determine if your condition is primarily cosmetic (much more common) or if you have a medical condition that is... more

David J. Levens, MD
Coral Springs Plastic Surgeon

Blepahroplasty and ptosis

While in many cases ptosis repair can be done at the same time as a blepahroplasty, only ptosis repaiur can be covered by insurance.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Bleph and ptosis repair are 2 different things

The bleph is cosmetic unless you have visual field obstruction and the ptosis repair is medically necessary. While they can be done together, their billing is a separate thing regardless of where you have it done.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Ptosis surgery and blepharoplasty are different procedures.

Just to be clear, there is brow ptosis (sagging of the eyebrows) which can cause pseudodermatochalasis of the upper eyelids (dermatochalasis is excessive or sagging eyelid skin), and there is eyelid ptosis, which is droopy eyelid. The latter requires levator surgery to lift and tighten the eyelid to the proper position. The former requires forehead lift to move the brows out of the upper eye socket to the orbital rim (for a man), or just above the orbital rim (for a woman). Then there is... more

Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS
Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon

Eyelid ptosis surgery

Eyelid ptosis surgery has precise indications: sagging of the upper lid which impinges and/or covers portions of the pupil decreasing upper gaze. This procedure directs the repair to the muscle that elevates the eyelid. A blepharoplasty removes excess external skin and internal fat from the upper eyelid. Both procedures can be done at the same time, however, only the ptosis surgery will be covered by insurance when indicated. A cosmetic blepharoplasty is... more

Ricardo Izquierdo, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Ptosis repair is not part of upper blepharoplasty

Ptosis repair is not part of upper Blepharoplasty. Ptosis repair can be done as a stand alone procedure as can Blepharoplasty. In many cases the two surgeries can be combined either for medical or cosmetic reasons or both. The issue of what insurance pays or does not pay varies much from region to region. Typically though if more than one procedure is done the documentation will reflect this. Hope this helps

J. Timothy Heffernan, MD
Seattle Oculoplastic Surgeon

drtimheffernan.com

Ptosis Surgery and bleph

Ptosis repair is a separate surgery from blepharoplasty but can typically be done at the same time as blepharoplasty. Ptosis surgery may be coverable by insurance.

Kris M. Reddy, MD, FACS
West Palm Beach Plastic Surgeon

www.drkrisreddy.com

Blepharoplasty and ptosis repair

Most ptosis repairs in the upper eyelid are done through incisions. Therefore, an upper blepharoplasty and ptosis repair are often done concurrently. I generally don't charge the full price for both if they are being done together as they both require the same opening incision and closure. Make sure you are seeing a surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Samer W. Cabbabe, M.D. Board - Certified Plastic Surgeon St. Louis Plastic Surgery... more

Samer W. Cabbabe, MD
Saint Louis Plastic Surgeon

Ptosis and blepharoplasty are distinct procedural elements.

You are running into these issues because you are asking your potential surgeons to have your health insurance pay for the eyelid surgery. Billing health insurance is encumbered by a lot of rules which may or may not make sense to you. You look at your eyelid and only see it as a single problem. That is not how surgeons and insurance companies think. Ptosis surgery and blepharoplasty are distinct and are billed accordingly. Also in an effort to control costs,... more