What is the Purpose of Having Eyelid Surgery?
Your eyelids play a vital role in protecting your eyes and keeping the front surface of your eye lubricated. In some cases, the muscles in the lid and surrounding areas can become dysfunctional and negatively affect your vision.
Conditions like strabismus and ptosis (drooping eyelids) can compromise your eyesight and alter your appearance. Many individuals turn to eyelid surgery to restore clear vision and boost their confidence.
This kind of procedure is extremely common, with hundreds of thousands performed every year in the United States. Keep reading to learn about the many benefits of eyelid surgery!
What Is Strabismus?
Strabismus, also known as misaligned or crossed eyes, is a condition where the eyes do not point in the same direction. One eye may face forward while another faces left, right, up, or down.
For those with strabismus, the misalignment can occur all the time, or in some cases, only in certain situations. Some types of strabismus cause misalignment only after reading or doing other close work.
In some strabismus cases, the same eye can turn every time, or the misalignment can alternate between the two eyes.
Some symptoms of strabismus include:
- Double vision
- Poor depth perception
- Squinting, especially in bright light
- Head tilting when looking at objects
There are six muscles in the eye that control movement. They work in tandem to point the eyes in the same direction.
Misaligned eyes can result from muscles being unable to function properly or from nerve damage around the eyes. Certain health conditions such as Graves’ disease or a stroke can also lead to the development of strabismus.
Many people in the United States have strabismus. In most cases, strabismus begins in childhood and, if left uncorrected, can remain into adulthood.
For those who have strabismus as an adult, the condition may have been untreated or unsuccessfully treated in the past. It also could have simply progressed over time.
Strabismus is not always present from childhood as you can develop it as an adult from physical trauma or disease. A family history of the condition also increases someone’s risk of being diagnosed.
What Is Ptosis?
Ptosis is a condition of the improper functioning of the muscles in the upper eyelid. Ptosis results in a lid that hangs down over the eye, often coming close to covering the pupil.
The actual degree of this drooping can vary. The lid can droop a little, or it can droop low enough to impact your vision significantly.
Ptosis can affect one eye or both and be temporary or permanent.
Some individuals with ptosis become accustomed to tilting their heads back and lifting their chin to improve their perception of objects. They may also regularly raise their eyebrows in an attempt to see better.
Other symptoms of ptosis include:
- Tired-looking eyes
- Forehead and eyebrow fatigue
- Poor peripheral vision
- Dry or watery eyes
Drooping eyelids can occur as you age or result from various conditions. Any trauma or disease that weakens the muscles surrounding the eye can lead to the development of ptosis.
Ptosis can also be present at birth, which is referred to as congenital ptosis).
Eyelid Surgery to Improve Strabismus Symptoms
Thanks to recent technology, it is possible to enhance vision in those with misaligned eyes. Although eyelid surgery may not wholly realign the eyes themselves, surgery can help those with strabismus experience better depth perception, peripheral vision, and boost confidence.
Eyelid surgery is an excellent option for those with uncorrected or progressive strabismus. Raising one or both upper lids for those with strabismus can make it easier for the two eyes to work together to create a wider field of vision.
It can also improve depth perception to determine distances between objects more accurately.
Whether reading, driving, or working, eyelid surgery allows individuals to eliminate some of the challenges presented by strabismus. On a cosmetic level, it can also significantly improve their self-esteem.
Eyelid Surgery for Ptosis
In cases of ptosis where the drooping eyelids partially or fully block the vision, the difference after surgery can be night and day. Eyelid surgery can help obscured vision become full again.
Before normal activities like reading and driving could be difficult or even impossible, now you can have unimpeded eyesight once again.
Another benefit of surgery is that you will not have to strain your forehead and eyebrows muscles to see. This procedure can eliminate that resulting fatigue.
On the subject of appearance, often ptosis causes you to look tired and unrested. Eyelid surgery improves the appearance of alertness in your eyes, meaning your eyes won’t look sleepy anymore.
Healthy, lifted eyelids will make you appear awake and ready for the day.
Restoring Your Eyelid’s Crease with Surgery
Have you noticed that one or both of your eyelid creases have faded or even disappeared completely? Eyelid surgery can be an excellent option for those looking to restore their natural crease.
Excess tissue can cover the crease of your upper eyelid, flattening it and changing your appearance. The lack of eyelid crease can also be a particular bother for those wearing eyelid makeup.
Surgery can remove this excess skin and allow the crease to show again, improving the cosmetic appearance of your eyes.
Want to learn more about how eyelid surgery can benefit you? Schedule an appointment at Complete EyeCare West in Columbus, OH, today!
