PTOSIS REPAIR (CORRECTION OF DROOPY EYELIDS)
Some patients have a condition known as ptosis of the upper eyelids. In this condition, the upper eyelids are droopy, and the eyes are unable to open fully. This causes a tired and sleepy looking appearance, with eyes that look small. The additional effort required to overcome the droopiness and to open the eyes bigger causes visual fatigue. Often, the upper eyelid crease is poorly formed or absent, and there is a deep groove high up in the upper eyelid area.
Ptosis is due to a loosening of the structural components of the eye opening mechanism of the upper eyelid. To correct this condition, the structural defect needs to be repaired so that the eyes can open bigger.
Ptosis repair is a complex and technically demanding operation that requires care in its planning and execution. Dr Huang has been performing this procedure for over twenty years and has refined his technique to consistently produce results that address both the functional and aesthetic aspects of this condition. He is acknowledged and respected by his own peers on this procedure and has been regularly invited to present his work at international plastic surgery meetings in South Korea, Japan, China, and South East Asia. He has also been an invited lecturer at subspecialty meetings on upper eyelid surgery in South Korea.
You can therefore be assured that you will be in the hands of a reputable and professional specialist.
An incision is made along the line of the planned new crease for the upper eyelid. Any excess skin and fat, if present, are removed. The structures involved in eye opening are identified and the anatomical defect is repaired. A new double eyelid crease is created, and the skin incision is meticulously closed with fine sutures.
Ptosis repair is a complicated operation that takes about three hours to complete. It is performed under local anesthesia or intravenous sedation as a day surgery procedure.
Postoperative pain is mild and well controlled with oral painkillers. There will be some swelling and bruising. The eyelids will feel tight initially and it will be hard to close your eyes fully due to the tightness of ptosis repair, but as the tissues relax you will be able to close your eyes better until they can be fully closed. This can take a few days to a few weeks. During this time, it is important to keep your eyes well lubricated with artificial tears in the daytime and with lubricating eye ointment at night when you sleep. Stitches will be removed after one week. You will need to apply antibiotic ointment to your eyelid wounds for the first ten days. After this you can start wearing eye makeup and this can effectively camouflage the residual swelling and bruising so that you don’t need to wear sunglasses to conceal your eyes anymore. So the effective downtime is about ten days. Exercise may be resumed after three weeks.
Ptosis repair results in your eyes opening bigger than before. It can dramatically improve the appearance of the eyes by creating bright and alert looking eyes with youthful looking upper eyelids and natural looking double eyelid creases. In addition, it produces functional improvement by relieving the visual fatigue caused by the droopy eyelids.
Although this procedure requires incisions and produces scars, the scars tend to fade very well and become inconspicuous by about six months. In the meantime, they can be easily concealed with makeup.
In expert hands, this is a safe procedure, with minimal blood loss and risk of infection. Mild and temporary blurred vision can occur during the first few days, but vision is otherwise not affected by the procedure. The biggest challenge in ptosis repair is achieving perfect symmetry in eye opening. Occasionally, reoperation is required when symmetry is not optimal.