My Drooping Eyelids Are Affecting My Eyesight: Can You Help?

There are somewhere around 150,000 eyelid surgeries performed in the US every year. Most are solely for cosmetic reasons, but quite a few are for upper eyelids that droop so low they obscure vision.

At DiGeronimo MD Advanced Plastic Surgery in Miami, Florida, Dr. Ernest M. DiGeronimo can evaluate your condition and help you decide if eyelid surgery can help resolve your vision issues caused by droopy upper lids.

Aging eyelids + gravity = Drooping

The most common cause of droopy eyelids, also known as ptosis, is aging. As you age, the building blocks of your skin begin to break down as production of key elements slows. Without enough collagen and elastin holding your skin up and in place, skin begins to sag and droop.

The lower lid can stretch until it looks like you have two elongated crescents under each eye, but that doesn’t obscure your sight. The real problem is when upper lids stretch to the point that they droop into the field of vision, making it impossible to see.

The solution: Blepharoplasty

There’s a straightforward fix for droopy lids, and it’s called eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty. Blepharoplasty can be performed on upper lids and lower lids, to correct vision issues and resolve cosmetic effects of aging.

Dr. DeGeronimo can perform upper eyelid surgery using a minimally invasive and effective technique that allows the surgery to be performed in just one to two hours, so you can return home the same day.

The first step is a visual fields test to determine to what extent your vision is being obscured. Then Dr. DiGeronimo conducts a thorough evaluation of your upper eyelids to determine what needs to be done to give you a clearer field of vision.

The surgery itself is done through tiny incisions that are hidden in the natural folds of your eyelid. Depending on the quality of skin in your eyelids and the amount of fat present, you’ll have one or all of the following steps performed during your blepharoplasty:

• Fat removal to reduce puffiness and bulging of the upper lids
• Skin removal if the skin is stretched and hanging down
• Tightening of remaining skin if needed to ensure eyelids don’t continue to sag

Once the surgery is complete, you’ll typically be allowed to go home, although in some cases Dr. DiGeronimo may recommend a home nurse to ensure your recovery proceeds as expected. 

After a few days you’ll likely be able to return to your normal daily routine. Some bruising of the eyelids will appear, which may spread down the sides of the face into the upper cheeks, but this will subside completely in one to two weeks. 

Blepharoplasty is the most sensible solution for droopy upper eyelids that are interfering with vision. Want to learn more? Schedule a consultation by calling 208-225-4358, or request an appointment online.