Ptosis ("toe-sis")

Ptosis: Upper Eyelid Drooping
Ptosis {"toe-sis"} can sometimes develops with age (involutional). Rarely, patients are born with this condition (congenital). Ptosis is a condition where the upper eyelid droops over the eye. After surgery, the upper eyelid is restored to its normal position.

A person with ptosis may tilt their head backward to see better. Involutional ptosis develops with aging. It may worsen after other types of eye surgery or eyelid swelling. Ptosis may limit the field of peripheral vision and produce an uneven appearance. Surgery corrects the problem by shortening the muscle that opens the eyelid.

Excess eyelid skin may produce a heavy sensation as well as limit the field of peripheral vision. (Blef-or-O-plasty) This technique improves the visual field as well as the other symptoms of droopy eyelids. Moreover, removal of the excess eyelid tissue in the upper and lower lids dramatically improves the patient's appearance (see below).