I had orbital decompression three months ago after having Graves orbitopathy for about five years. One of my lower eyelids still appears swollen, but my surgeon thought it might be residual eyelid retraction from the TED. It feels to me like there's something in there, but I also worry the muscles are stretched out after five years with 22mm of proptosis. Will this go away or is it a retraction issue?
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November 26, 2016
Answer: Eyelid retraction from graves thyroid eye disease
The lower blepharoplasty damages the motor nerves to the muscle along the edge of the lower eyelid margin that holds the eyelid against the eye. Surgeons attempt to replace this hammock function that is damaged by tightening the lower eyelid. There are several problems with this approach. ...
The first question is whether you are having any further eye muscle surgeries, because that can affect the position of the eyelid. Assuming you are not, then the next step would be retraction surgery. The surgery is covered by insurance but there may be an out-of-pocket fee depending on...
While each situation differs depending on the type of surgical repair and implant material used, in general, the eyelid position does tend to lower over time due to the effects of gravity and volume loss with aging, but this occurs over a long range of time (years rather than days or months).
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