Plastic Surgery Procedures to Improve Vision

Do you experience puffiness or sagging around your eyes?

Many patients seek out the expertise of a board-certified plastic surgeon to address these cosmetic concerns. And rightly so. Plastic surgery does wonders in addressing these concerns and reversing facial aging.

But there are plastic surgery procedures to improve vision as well.

In fact, if you’ve noticed heavy sagging in your upper eyelids, you could be dealing with decreased vision due to ptosis. If this is your predicament, plastic surgery will not only improve the appearance of your eyes but can restore lost function as well.

What Is Ptosis?

Eyebrow ptosis or excess upper eyelid skin, called dermatochalasis,  is an eye condition caused by excessive skin around your upper eyelid. When the upper eyelid becomes weighed down, it can droop into your field of vision. It can feel as though you’re looking through a window with its blinds partially drawn.

The most common symptoms of excess skin of the upper eyelid include:

• difficulty reading
• raising brows to improve vision
• dry and irritated eyes
• loss of peripheral vision
• frontal headaches

Although the most common cause of excess skin or brow ptosis is the aging process, it can also be the result of lax tissue and genetics. Trauma to the eye tissue, thyroid eye disease, and renal failure can all contribute to excess skin as well.

Relieving Excess Skin with Eyelid Surgery

Eyelid surgery, also known as blepharoplasty, seeks to remove and tighten excess skin found above and below the eye. It not only restores a youthful, bright appearance to your eyes, but restores vision diminished by droopy upper eyelids.

During a blepharoplasty procedure, the surgeon creates precise markings where the excess tissue will be removed from the eyelids. In the case of the upper eyelid, the incision is made within the natural eyelid fold. For the lower eyelid, the incision is created just below the lower lash line to remove skin, or inside the lower eyelid, through the conjuctiva to remove fat bags.

Excess tissue is then removed through these incisions and, if desired, the fat may be redistributed to achieve a specific look.

Levator ptosis is a functional problem that produces a droopy upper eyelid. This can occur with aging, trauma, and neuromuscular disorders. Repair of the levator muscle tendon is performed to correct drooping upper eyelids. This may be performed at the same time as removal of the upper eyelid excess skin and concurrently with a brow lift (see below).

Other Plastic Surgery Procedures to Improve Vision

Sometimes the cause for altered vision is low-set eyebrows. In this case, your plastic surgeon would recommend a brow lift.

Eyebrows set lower on the face become problematic as you age. As the skin on the upper portion of the face becomes thinner and loses elasticity over time, deep-set wrinkles and heavy, low hung eyebrows can obstruct your peripheral vision.

During a brow lift, also known as an endoscopic brow lift, the surgeon uses an endoscope (a tube with a camera attached to the end) to best see the area of treatment. Small incisions are made in the hairline and forehead skin and eyebrows are repositioned higher on the forehead. Fixation of the forehead and brows is then performed for long-term results to create a smoother, more youthful-looking forehead.

The procedure requires very minimal incisions and is performed as an outpatient procedure under general anesthesia.

Could You See Better with Plastic Surgery?

While there are plastic surgery procedures to improve vision, it’s important to remember that these surgeries will not actually repair the eye.

But if your seeing is impacted by sagging skin, these procedures could just help to restore your field of vision.

So if you think an eyebrow lift or eyelid surgery is right for you, contact us today for a free consultation. One of our qualified experts will discuss the best procedure for you.