New Vision Eye Center can help open your eyes to a broader view with functional blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery performed for medical reasons). Many people deciding to have eyelid surgery are merely looking to improve their appearance, but for others, the procedure is a way to increase their field of vision.
Eyelid surgery is more than a cosmetic procedure to improve the appearance of the eyelids. A functional eye lift can be performed to remove loose skin from the upper eyelid when it droops, causing impaired vision.
For many, drooping eyelids are a part of the natural aging process. Skin gradually loses its elasticity over time, and paired with gravity, excessive skin collects on the upper and lower eyelids. Ptosis, or drooping of the upper eyelid, is often hereditary and present at birth. However, ptosis may progress after cataract and other eye surgeries or as a side effect of stroke, trauma, allergies, and puffy eyes.
When the eyelid skin stretches, muscles weaken, and fat pockets are more prominent as they bulge.
An ophthalmologist performs the procedure when a patient experiences the following:
- impaired vision
- difficulty wearing glasses or contact lenses
- irritation from excess eyelid skin rubbing
- forehead discomfort due to the strain of lifting sagging skin in the eyelid area
During eyelid surgery, the ophthalmologist makes incisions in the folds and creases of the upper eyelid and just beneath the lashes on the lower lid to remove and tighten excess eyelid skin.
If you are having difficulty seeing due to droopy eyelids, you may be a candidate for blepharoplasty. Schedule an eye appointment with your eye doctor. An ophthalmologist will evaluate you and make a recommendation on the best course of action for your visual health and wellness. At New Vision Eye Center, blepharoplasty is performed by David J. O’Brien, MD.