Ptosis
Your Trusted Team for Effective Ptosis Correction
Ptosis is the medical term for a dropping or falling upper eyelid. This condition can affect one or both of your eyes. Some people can be born with ptosis, but it is more common in later life. There are different causes for ptosis later in life, and your surgeon will be able to establish a cause and recommend the appropriate treatment options. While in many cases this is simply a cosmetic concern, ptosis can also interfere with your vision and cause a feeling of heaviness or fatigue around the eyes.
In most cases, ptosis can be corrected with surgical treatment, which will restore the function of the eyelid and improve both appearance and sight. We offer personalised assessments and expert care by experienced oculoplastic surgeons to ensure that the treatment is right for you.
Discuss your symptoms with a specialist today.
Ptosis can be either congenital or acquired later in life.
Although this is rare, some people can be born with ptosis, otherwise known as congenital ptosis. However, typically, this condition develops gradually over time and is particularly prevalent in older adults.
Although ptosis is often associated with ageing, it doesn’t just cause an issue with aesthetics. When the eyelid droops low enough, it can cover part of the eye and can significantly restrict your vision, especially while driving, reading or using a computer.
It cannot really be prevented; however, ensuring that you get your eyes regularly checked with a healthcare professional means that we can spot any changes early on, and the condition can be managed.
Ptosis surgery aims to reposition the eyelid so that it sits at a more natural and functional height, improving both aesthetics and vision.
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Frequently asked questions
How do people develop Ptosis?
People can be born with ptosis, although more commonly it develops in later life. This can be due to either a familial trait, contact lens use or rarely more concerning causes. It is not to be confused with dermatochalasis (eye bags) which is an excess of upper eyelid skin, which is corrected by a blepharoplasty.
What are the risks?
- bleeding
- infection
- scarring
- over-correction
- under-correction (persistent droopy eyelid)
- asymmetry of height and contour of eyelid margin or of skin fold
- dry eye, requiring the use of artificial tear drops
- temporarily blurred vision
- weak or limited eyelid closure (especially at night)
- failure or recurrence
- possible need for another ptosis repair in the future
- cysts or whiteheads along suture sites
- temporary patches of numbness of the eyelids
- orbital haemorrhage with a potential for permanent visual loss.
In addition to the risks specific to the individual procedure, there are also general risks, such as blood loss, infection, cardiac arrest, airway problems and blood clots, which are associated with any surgical procedure. Local anaesthetic may cause bruising or possible allergic responses. If your operation is to be carried out under general anaesthetic, the anaesthetist will discuss this with you.
What are the benefits?
- Correction of ptosis (droopy eyelid)
- Improvement of symmetry of eyelid height and contour
- Improvement to visual fields (peripheral and above)
- Where excess skin is also present, skin removal (blepharoplasty) may also be performed.
What are the alternatives?
Surgery is generally the best treatment for Ptosis. If, however, you choose not to proceed with surgery, the droopy eyelids will persist and may worsen with time but will not have any permanent detrimental effect on your vision or general health. Ptosis props are devices attached to spectacles that can hold the eyelids up but many people find them uncomfortable or ineffective.