Eyelid ptosis
Over the years the muscles of the eyelids are also affected by aging and there is a risk of suffering blepharoptosis o palpebral ptosis.
When the upper eyelid droops, in addition to aesthetically affecting the patient, a partial or total closure of the pupil area causing significant visual impairment.
Blepharoptosis can occur in one or both eyelids at the same time and can be corrected through different surgical techniques whose main objective is to achieve symmetry of the eyelids.
Eyelid ptosis
Over the years the muscles of the eyelids are also affected by aging and there is a risk of suffering blepharoptosis o palpebral ptosis.
When the upper eyelid droops, in addition to aesthetically affecting the patient, a partial or total closure of the pupil area causing significant visual impairment.
Blepharoptosis can occur in one or both eyelids at the same time and can be corrected through different surgical techniques whose main objective is to achieve symmetry of the eyelids.
What is palpebral ptosis?
Palpebral ptosis or blepharoptosis are the medical terms used to refer to the drooping eyelid upper part of one or both eyes due to malfunction of the muscle responsible for lifting and supporting said structure.
In most cases, palpebral ptosis is caused by tissue aging which causes muscle weakness. However, it is also possible that the blepharoptosis be congenital or is associated with the presence of a cyst or tumor that interferes with the functioning of the eyelid muscle.
The droopy eyelids they can cover the eye so partial o total to the point of completely hiding the pupil and hinder correct vision by reducing the campor visual.
Patients with this condition often find it necessary to lift their eyelids with their hands to see properly or to tilt their heads to increase their campor visual
Blepharoptosis that appears during childhood is usually associated with the amblyopia or lazy eye, in these cases it is important to assess this situation with the ophthalmologist.
The ideal is to diagnose and treat ptosis as soon as possible to reduce the visual limitations that the patient presents.
Causes of eyelid ptosis
The main cause of blepharoptosis or droopy eyelids is the passage of time, which ages the tissues and causes the muscles to lose their nerve stimulation.
However, depending on how the muscle is affected, there are different types of palpebral ptosis, let's meet them:
Aponeurotic ptosis
This type of palpebral ptosis is the most common and is due to aging of the palpebral tissues and the weakness of the levator muscle of the eyelid that, when loosened, causes the fall of the structure.
Ptosis due to neurological causes
This type of blepharoptosis occurs when the muscle has lack of nerve stimuli. Ptosis due to neurological causes usually affects the children and is known as syndrome Marcus gunn.
Mechanical ptosis
It is the type of ptosis caused by the presence of a cyst or tumor in the upper eyelid that causes the mechanical fall of the same.
Myogenic Ptsosis
It happens when the lifting muscle does not work properly presenting difficulties to maintain the eyelid in a normal position.
Palpebral Ptosis Surgery
The main objective of the treatment of palpebral ptosis is repair the levator palpebrae muscle in order to correct visual limitation that the patient may be experiencing.
All Blepharoptosis treatments are surgical and the technique to use will depend on the cause that is causing the droopy eyelids.
La ptosis surgery performed by an eye plastic surgeon, whether the condition occurs in an adult or a child.
In the case of infantile blepharoptosis, the correction may be accompanied by other surgical treatments to address conditions such as amblyopia or lazy eye.
Ptosis surgery can even be combined with a eyelid skin removal, better known as blepharoplasty. There are different types of blepharoplasty, specially designed for the needs of each patient.
Surgery to treat blepharoptosis is performed on children under general anesthesia and in adults under topical anesthesia. The procedure, in both cases, is very quick and simple and does not suggest significant risks to the patient's health.
The main risk of palpebral ptosis surgery is that, in some cases, the symmetry between both eyelids is not fully achieved and a second correction may be necessary.
