Lacrimal gland prolapse: What kind of surgery am I going to need to correct this. (Photo)

It is a small incision procedure which can be done under local anesthesia. Using the natural upper eyelid crease, the surgeon can "tuck in" the prolapsed lacrimal gland with quick recovery.

An incision is made in the lid crease in this area. The gland is identified and freed up from any surrounding tissue.  It is then sutured up under the bone so it is not visible, and is back where it belongs.  This can be done on its' own or at the same time as a blepharoplasty. 

Hi.  Good news - this can easily be fixed during an upper blepharoplasty, by suturing the gland back into its correct position.

Hi,Thank you for including a photograph. During an upper eyelid blepharoplasty, the lacrimal gland can be exposed and resuspended to its correct anatomical position without much difficulty. Best,Mehdi Sina, MD

I'm an oculofacial plastic surgeon, and it does appear to be your lacrimal gland has herniated downward.  There are other concerns for this area, but on the picture that is what it appears to be.  An in person consult would be ideal to palpate the area to be sure.  The lacrimal gland can be repositioned upward with sutures through an eyelid or blepharoplasty-type incision.  It can be prone to drop again, but it usually will do well.  This can be done in the office operating room setting.  Best regards.

The lacrimal gland can be sutured into a position where it is not obvious during an upper lid blepharoplasty.Keep in mind, that following the advice from a surgeon on this or any other website who proposes to tell you what to do without examining you, physically feeling the tissue, assessing your desired outcome, taking a full medical history, and discussing the pros and cons of the proposed operative procedure with you may not be in your best interest. I would suggest you find a plastic surgeon certified by the American
Board of Plastic Surgery and ideally a member of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) that you trust and are comfortable with. You
should discuss your concerns with that surgeon in person.

Robert Singer, MD FACS

La Jolla, California

Hi there. Greetings from the UK! I think the most important thing that you need to do first is to see an oculoplastic surgeon who'll be able to perform a full orbital examination and may recommend orbital imaging. It would be important to distinguish the cause of the bulge as this may be lacrimal gland enlargement rather than simple involutional prolapse. Lacrimal gland enlargement investigation may involve various blood tests, chest x-rays and ultimately lacrimal gland biopsy and then treatment of any underlying cause of the enlargement. Whereas lacrimal gland resuspension for prolapse involves the resuspending it to the periosteum of the lacrimal gland fossa of the superior orbital rim using sutures. Both lacrimal gland biopsy and resuspension operations are pretty simple to perform in the right hands and most oculoplastic surgeons would be able to offer you this service typically via a small skin crease incision.