What is Eyelid Surgery?

Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) is the process of removing excess fat, muscle and skin tissue from the lower and upper eyelids and tightening the parts around the eyes that support these tissues. With this surgical application, sagging, inward or outward turned upper and lower eyelids, bags due to excess fat collection and wrinkles around the eyes are corrected.

What is Lower Eyelid?

The lower eyelid, is called "Ptosis". It is an eye problem that is present from birth or develops later due to various reasons, and is seen as a droopy eyelid that covers the colored part of the eye more than a millimeter in length. Patients with Ptosis must be treated not only in terms of aesthetics, but also medically because it will cause problems such as narrowing of the vision. In children, ptosis can cause lazy eye. If lazy eye has developed, it must be operated until the age of 6 years.

Although the disease can be seen in people of all ages, it may be congenital (congenital ptosis) or develop later.

Congenital Disorders of the Upper Eyelid

Ptosis is the most common congenital disorder of the upper eyelid. In addition, there may be eyelid disorders such as adhesions on the eyelid (ankyloblepharon), inward (entropion) or outward turning (ectropion) on the eyelid edge, incomplete eyelid formation (coloboma), extra eyelash row (distichiasis).

What are the symptons of Lower Eyelid?

Droping eyelids can often be caused by hereditary problems or muscle disorders.

· The symptoms of patients with droopy eyelids may be as follows

· Trying to pull the eyelids up by raising his eyebrows

· A tired and dull expression on the face

· Dry eye or excessive tearing

· Narrowing of the vision

What are the treatments for Lower Eyelid?

The treatment of ptosis is possible surgically. Since this problem is seen at all ages, treatment methods may vary according to age groups. Generally, in pediatric patients, surgery is performed in order not to affect vision and amblyopia, and then the use of special glasses with occlusion treatment can be recommended and eye drops can be intervened. If the patient is an adult, the excess tissue on the eyelid can be removed or the muscle can be intervened to strengthen the muscle holding the eyelid.

When surgical intervention is required for droopy eyelids, treatment is performed by a specialist oculoplasty physicians. The treatment is operations that take about 20 minutes and are usually performed under local anesthesia.

Droopy Eyelid Treatment

Unless there is a systemic disease, the only treatment for ptosis is surgery. Insufficient or no functioning of the levator muscle that lifts the eyelid is in question in ptosis. The physician examining the patient determines the surgical method to be applied according to the function level of the muscle. If muscle function is present but insufficient, a method to strengthen the muscle is selected. In cases where there is no muscle function, sling surgery is performed.

Surgery provides benefits both aesthetically and functionally. In addition to the function of the muscle, different surgical methods can be applied according to the degree of movement of the eye to the gaze directions and tear function. As a result of these evaluations, appropriate surgical treatment should be performed by an eye surgeon with oculoplastic training and experience.

Unless there is a child, the choice for surgery is to be performed under local anaesthesia.

Pediatric and adult patients differ in terms of the timing of the surgery.

Since congenital ptosis, especially if unilateral ptosis obscures the front of the pupil, it will cause lazy eye, it should be operated as early as possible. This issue is determined by the joint decision of the family and the physician in line with the examination results. There is no restriction in terms of timing in adult patients.