Left eyelid is slightly droopier and puffy. Is this worth a consult at 34 years old? (Photos)

Question

The appearance of my left eyelid has been bothering me for a couple of years. It is always slightly droopier than my right , andioften puffier. There is more excess skin on the left eyelid, and I am curious if it may be causing my often "tired" feeling. However, at 34 and with the eyelid sometimes looking more symmetric with my right, I am unsure if I will simply be dismissed in a consult. W I saw my eye doctor and he simply said, oh yeah, it is a little lower. Why might my eyelid sometimes look so much more symmetric with my right but other times be much droopier/heavy? Is it worth a consult ?

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD · Answer

Who does your surgery and precisely how it is done will make an enormous difference. Your eyelid is heavy due to disinsertion of the levator aponeurosis, the tendon that raises the eyelid. Internal ptosis (also called Muëller’s muscle conjunctival resection ptosis) is an extremely popular method for repairing a small amount of ptosis.  Surgeon’s love this surgery because surgery is very simple and only takes a few minutes. Results however are often less than ideal and this surgery will not lower your upper eyelid crease. My preferred technique is anterior levator resection ptosis surgery with crease lowering surgery. There is no substitute for a detailed in person assessment. Be very skeptical of surgeon who only perform video consultations.

Michael McCracken, MD · Answer

You have a left upper lid ptosis that should respond to a ptosis repair.  You are not too young to have this surgery.  I recommend you see an eyelid specialist who is a member of ASORPS.  You can find one at the website ASORPS dot org.  He or she will be able to:
1) Use a drop to temporarily lift the lid to show you what surgery can do for you
2) Get more history and possibly do more testing to make sure that there isn't any underlying reason for the ptosis.  Although I think it is unlikely in your case, sometimes variable ptosis can be a sign of an underlying neurologic issue.

Left eyelid is slightly droopier and puffy. Is this worth a consult at 34 years old? (Photos)

Answers (2)

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