Droopy Eyelids (Ptosis)

What is Ptosis?
Ptosis is the medical term for drooping of the upper eyelid. It can affect one or both upper eyelids and can sometimes be present at birth (congenital ptosis), but more commonly develops later in life.

What causes Ptosis?
The commonest cause of ptosis is aging of the lids. The muscle in the upper lid stretches with age and weakens, causing the lid to droop.
Rarely it can be caused by a neurological disorder such as Horner’s syndrome and myotonic dystrophy. Sometimes people who wear contact lenses or who have had surgery to their eyes or eyelids can also develop droopy upper lids.

When do you need surgery for Ptosis?
Most people who develop ptosis choose to have surgery to correct it because the appearance of the upper lid concerns them or the lids droops it interferes with their vision.

Surgery for Ptosis
Surgery to correct ptosis most commonly involves making a small incision in the upper lid and repairing the muscle that has become weakened. The surgery is usually performed under local anaesthetic with some sedation to try and achieve the best lid height at the end of the surgery.