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Hi.
I'm Dr. Matheson Harris from Utah Oculoplastic Consultants.
I see a lot of patients in my office who are bothered by
heavy or drooping eyelids.
This can happen at any age and there are many causes.
We see a lot of children who are born with one or both
drooping eyelids.
This is generally due to a developmental problem with the
eyelid muscle.
In some adults, a combination of gravity and changes in our
tissue causes the eyelid muscles to stretch at their
tendons and not hold up the eyelids properly.
We call this ptosis when the eyelids don't open completely
and block part of the vision.
When excess skin begins to hang down over the eyelashes
and weigh down on the eyelid, we call this dermatochalasis.
Most often we see these two problems in combination.
There are several ways to fix drooping eyelids.
When the eyelids droop just a few millimeters, we can often
fix this with a simple surgery performed on the
inside of the eyelid.
This is performed by shortening a portion of one of
the muscles that raises the eyelid, lifting the eyelid in
the process.
A single long stitch is used on the inside of the eyelid
and only the knot is visible on the outside.
Most adults can have this surgery done with sedation,
anesthesia only.
Children usually go to sleep for the procedure.
When the eyelids droop more than a couple of millimeters,
we treat them with a surgery that involves making an
incision through the eyelid skin at
the natural lid crease.
Prior to surgery, I will mark your eyelids to determine the
exact amount of extra skin that I will remove.
I ensure that I leave behind enough skin to allow your
eyelids to properly close and protect your eyes.
Because we lose elasticity in our skin as we age, there may
still be some loose upper eyelid skin
after you have healed.
But the improvement will be very noticeable in your
peripheral vision will be improved.
Surgery is usually done in an outpatient surgery center or
in our office.
The procedure takes anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes.
If an anaesthesiologist is involved, you'll receive
sedation and pain medicine by an IV.
I'll then mark your eyelids for skin excision and you'll
receive some medicine to fall asleep for a few minutes while
I inject numbing medicine under the skin.
During the procedure if you have any discomfort, you'll be
able to let us know and we'll keep you comfortable.
I may ask you to open your eyes and look upward and down
to judge your eyelid height and make
sure things look symmetric.
I'll finish by closing your incisions with absorbable
sutures and placing ointment on the skin.
In recovery, you'll be given ice packs.
Once you're at home, it'll be very important for you to use
ice on your eyes for 48 hours, placing it 20 minutes on and
off while you're awake.
If you can sleep with your head elevated for the first
few days, this will reduce your swelling.
You'll have ointment to place on your incisions three to
four times a day for the first week, then nightly thereafter
until the incisions are completely healed.
This well help the stitches to dissolve completely and
prevent infection.
We will see you in the office within a week from surgery to
ensure you're healing well.
We then see you four to six weeks later, once all the
swelling and bruising has resolved.
If you have any concerns or questions any time after
surgery, call our office and we'll be happy to talk to you
or schedule you come in if necessary.
Thank you for choosing Utah Oculoplastic Consultants for
your surgery.
We look forward to helping you look and feel your best.