Surgery usually involves shortening and strengthening the levator muscle which opens the eyelid. Occasionally, the lid is raised by suspending it from the brow muscle. The tissue used for this may be man-made or harvested from the leg through a small cut above the knee.

If both eyes are affected by Ptosis, cosmetic and functional eyelid surgery is usually carried out on both sides at the same time.

Stopping blood-thinning medications (e.e aspirin) or warfarin before surgery
If you take these types of medications you need to discuss this with your surgeon prior to booking for surgery. In general, provided that this does not jeopardise your health, we recommend stopping these medicines for about 2 weeks before the surgery, as increased bruising may adversely affect the surgical result. If you are unsure, you should discuss this point with your GP or Physician regarding the safety of stopping the medication.

What is the cause of complications?

• Undercorrection – The lid remains low. Often the lid may rise in the weeks following surgery before the final position is reached.
• Overcorrection – The lid is too high. This may resolve spontaneously and it may be possible to pull the eyelid down by pulling on the eyelashes.
• Contour Mismatch – The shape or contour may not match the other eye.
• Inability to close the eye completely/ dry eye – This occurs commonly in large Ptosis corrections. Often daytime lubricant drops and nighttime eye ointment is required to keep the eye comfortable.
• Failure of the lid to look down – There is a failure of the lid to follow the eye normally when looking down, usually in congenital cases.

Note: All treatment is preceded by a consultation and examination to establish the correct diagnosis.