Do eyes look bigger after Eye Ptosis Surgery?

Question

I was told by two doctors that I have eye ptosis in both my eyes, will my eyes look more bigger/wider after the procedure? Are the scars from it bad? Does it make the iris look bigger?

Paul Lanfranchi, DO, FAOCOO · Answer

Ptosis repair involves permanently elevating and resetting the actual lid position of the upper eye(s). It is performed when the lid's base position is too droopy. As this conditions worsens, one's vision can be impaired since the pupil (which registers the actual vision) can eventually be obstructed. A small fine incision (similar to an upper blepharoplasty incision) is made in the natural crease of the upper eyelid, and one of the muscles (levator) are shortened to elevate the resting position of the lid. The result will increase the vertical height of the eye which will make it appear slightly wider/open. Since the eye is more "open" you will see more of the iris (colored part of the eye). There really should be no significant scarring since the incision should be placed in the natural upper lid crease. The bottom line is that this really is a "functional" procedure at the end of the day. If the natural course of the condition occurs, your vision would ultimately be obstructed and you would not be able to see very well. Your surgeon may offer to remove some of the excess thin skin above the lid which would give a cosmetic improvement as well. Hope this helps! -Doc L.

Elbert T. Cheng, MD · Answer

Hello,Ptosis surgery is intended to improve on a weak and thinned levator aponeurosis muscle.  If done properly and you heal well, your eyelid will be elevated creating a more open eye.  Unfortunately, it won't make your iris look bigger.  Best of luck!

Robert Schwarcz, MD · Answer

yes, your eyes should look open wider or bigger after ptosis surgery. There are many ways to perform the surgery but first your levator muscle function should be evaluated to find out which surgery is appropriate for you. Once established the surgery could be done in a scarless approach through the back of the eye lid or done through the front of the eyelid through an eyelid crease approach.

Robert K. Sigal, MD · Answer

There are two ways to elevate drooping upper eyelids (ptosis).  The first involves an incision in the upper lid crease to get access to the muscle that needs work - the levator.  By shortening the tendon of that muscle, most age related ptosis and be corrected.  In my experience, it's a little tricky and usually best done with you awake.An alternative is to shorten the lid is by excising tissue from the underside of the upper eyelid.  This procedure is known as a Fasanella Servat procedure and is more "forgiving" than the external approach described above.  It is usually done with you asleep.Hope this helps.Rob

Sara A. Kaltreider, MD (retired) · Answer

Ptosis surgery lifts the edge of the lid with respect to the eye and will make the eyes appear more open or "bigger". This is delicate surgery which is best performed through a skin incision and not from the back of the lid. From the anterior approach, the surgeon has complete control of the lid position, lid contour, lid symmetry, lid folds, and eyelash position. The incision lines heal beautifully and are virtually invisible if you are healthy and take care of your skin. My patients often ask if they will have a scar - the answer is yes, you will have a scar any time you have an incision. However, a well-placed incision in the eyelid crease will be hard to find after healing when appropriate surgical techniques are used, and good healing occurs. With regard to the iris - the size of the ocular structures do not change but more of the iris is exposed to view after ptosis surgery. Experienced ptosis surgeons will avoid placing the lid level too high - you would not want your upper sclera to be visible as that would create a "stare" appearance. Best wishes with your decisions.

Do eyes look bigger after Eye Ptosis Surgery?

Answers (5)

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