Although many people think of eyelid surgery, clinically known as blepharoplasty, as a purely cosmetic procedure, thousands of patients undergo the procedure each year to restore function to their eyelids and clarity to their vision. This is especially true of people who suffer from upper eyelid ptosis, or drooping. Ptosis of the upper eyelid can severely interfere with a person’s vision, making it difficult for him or her to perform everyday tasks, from reading and watching television to performing his or her job duties and operating a vehicle. In such cases, eyelid surgery can dramatically restore a person’s ability to function and overall quality of life.
Of course, drooping eyelids also pose a cosmetic problem, making a person look perpetually tired, less than alert, bored, or even upset. In that sense, upper eyelid surgery serves a dual purpose. Patients generally emerge from surgery looking more vital and refreshed; some even look years younger, as though they’d undergone a facelift, even though they hadn’t.
In performing eyelid surgery for ptosis, Edina, MN plastic surgeon Brian J. Kobienia always strives to produce the most natural-looking, cosmetically pleasing results, even if the procedure is being performed primarily for non-cosmetic purposes. He understands that patients want to come out of surgery feeling and looking their best. If you are struggling with ptosis of the upper eyelids, and you would like to learn whether you could benefit from eyelid surgery, we invite you to schedule your initial consultation with Dr. Kobienia at Kobienia Plastic Surgery today.
What Causes Ptosis of the Upper Eyelid?
In most people, ptosis of the upper eyelid is an age-related issue; the levator muscle responsible for raising the eyelid becomes loose and stretched over time, resulting in sagging. This sagging can be made even worse when excess fat begins to accumulate in the eyelid, weighing down on the delicate skin and causing it to stretch.
Unfortunately, some people are simply born with weak levator muscles, which is another cause of ptosis. Other people develop weakness of the levator muscles later in childhood or adulthood as a result of muscular of neurological disorders.
Then, there are people who have perfectly functioning levator muscles, but who also have such heavy upper eyelids due to the presence of excess fat and other tissues that sagging occurs.
How Blepharoplasty Corrects Ptosis
When he performs upper eyelid surgery, Dr. Kobienia adapts the procedure to the underlying cause or causes of the patient’s ptosis. In the great majority of cases, tightening of the levator muscle is necessary. In some cases, this tightening alone is sufficient to correcting a patient’s ptosis. In others, excess fat and skin must also be surgically removed. If the ptosis is caused by the presence of these excess tissues alone, then Dr. Kobienia will perform only tissue removal and leave the levator muscle be.
Learn More about Upper Eyelid Surgery for Ptosis
If you would like to learn more about upper eyelid surgery for ptosis, we invite you to contact Kobienia Plastic Surgery today.
