ptosis

What is Ptosis?

As people age, their eyelids gradually become more and more difficult to open. This is called ptosis. It is said to be more likely to occur in people who have allergic conjunctivitis or atopic dermatitis, who rub their eyelids, or who have been using hard contact lenses for many years. It is not known for sure. In general, symptoms often become more severe with age and can be considered a part of the aging process. In Japan, the number of patients is increasing as the population ages.

symptoms

Forehead wrinkles

Eyebrows are raised.

Upper eyelids are hollowed out.

Wide double eyelids

If only one eye is involved, the forehead wrinkle and eyebrow height will be asymmetrical. On the side with the droopy eyelid, the forehead wrinkles are deeper and the eyebrows are higher.

It is difficult to see forward without lifting the chin, which can cause stiff shoulders and headaches

Since the patient is nervous when being examined, the eyes are often more open than usual, and it can be difficult to diagnose mild cases.

How to check

1. relax and close your eyes

2. touch the eyebrows with your fingers

3. open your eyes while holding it down

4. if the eyebrows (eyebrows) move upward or try to move ...... is a droopy eyelid

There are two main causes

1.  Sagging skin
2.  Loosening of the muscle that opens the eyelid (levator muscle) (in severe cases, the muscle (levator muscle) is detached from the eyelid (eyelid plate))

The two are.

The cure is surgical treatment. It cannot be cured by training or massage.

Surgery is performed under local anesthesia by injection to relieve pain.

For 1., surgery is performed to remove sagging skin

The skin may be cut away at the position of the double eyelid or under the eyebrows (eyebrows). In severe cases, two surgeries are performed, but both may be performed at different times. In most cases, the scars will be barely noticeable.

For 2., the laxity of the muscles that open the eyelid (the levator muscle and Müller muscle) is adjusted. In severe cases, if the muscles have become detached from the eyelid, the eye will not open even if the muscles contract to open the eye. The muscle and eyelid must be stitched together.

In addition to 1. and 2., in rare cases, the function of the muscles that open the eyelids may be severely impaired. Surgery to open the eyelid using the movement of the eyebrows (connecting the eyelids to the frontalis muscle) will be considered.

The cost of the surgery is
In addition, examination fees, consultation fees, prescription fees, etc. are required. The fee is the same throughout Japan if the treatment is covered by insurance.

Some people confuse this surgery with double eyelid surgery, but ptosis surgery and double eyelid surgery are separate and unrelated. It is possible to have double eyelids during ptosis surgery, but there are many people who do not want to have double eyelids at this time. We do not recommend a clear double eyelid for elderly patients, but if you wish, please let us know. We will show you before and after pictures of the treatment.

In addition to the ptosis described above, there is also congenital ptosis, in which the eyes are difficult to open from birth

If the condition is so severe that there is little or no light in the eye, treatment is needed immediately because it can lead to amblyopia if left untreated. Usually, obstetricians and pediatricians at the hospital where the child is born will notice the condition, and plastic surgery will be performed to insert light into the eye to prevent amblyopia from developing. The surgery is performed under general anesthesia early in life. If there is light in the eye but the eyelid opening is narrow, the treatment plan will depend on the extent of the problem. Treatment of congenital ptosis is performed at a general hospital with inpatient facilities. Our clinic refers patients to Kitano Hospital of Tazuke Kofukai Medical Research Institute.