More than 325,000 eyelid surgery procedures are performed each year in the United States, making it the second most common plastic surgery procedure. But while some people think of eyelid surgery as purely a cosmetic treatment, the fact is, many of those procedures are performed to improve eye health and vision.
At Sanctuary Cosmetic Center, Soheila Rostami, MD, performs functional eyelid surgery to correct lid issues that can interfere with vision or increase your risk of infections or other eye problems. Here’s why you might be a good candidate for non-cosmetic blepharoplasty.
Certainly, eyelid surgery can correct aging issues that make your eyes (and your whole face) look worn and tired. But functional surgery is performed for other reasons, like the ones described here.
When your lids work normally, you hardly know they’re there. But if they sag or droop, they can start to rub together, irritating the skin and your eyes.
Many people with sagging lids continually strain their forehead muscles to maintain clear, unobstructed vision, eventually leading to facial pain and headaches. Eyelid surgery to restore normal lid position can help relieve these issues.
As we age, our eyelids can start to sag and droop. Not only can moderately sagging lids make you look a lot older and more worn out, but they can also start to block your peripheral vision — how well you can see out of the “corners” of your eyes.
Ptosis refers to severely drooping lids that sag so much, they interfere with your normal field of vision. Ptosis can be caused by muscle weakness from aging or injury or it can be caused by a tumor or another underlying medical problem. Eyelid surgery can correct the lid position and also treat the underlying cause.
Entropion and ectropion refer to conditions that affect the way the eyelids close. In entropion, the lid margin turns inward, allowing lashes to rub against the cornea where they can cause scratches and infection. In ectropion, the lower lid margins turn outward, exposing more of the eye surface and leading to uncomfortable dry eyes.
While both conditions can be temporarily relieved by eye drops, surgery is the only way to permanently correct entropion and ectropion.
Thyroid eye disease (TED) causes inflammation in the muscles that open and close your lids. over time, lids become “retracted” — pulled away from the surface of the eye.
Mild symptoms include dry eyes and gritty sensations. More severe cases can lead to corneal injury and the inability to completely close your eyes. Dr. Rostami uses different eyelid surgery techniques to restore normal lid function and address other functional lid issues associated with TED.
Dr. Rostami is skilled in eyelid surgery techniques aimed at improving your vision, relieving painful symptoms, and preventing more serious issues from occurring. To learn more about lid surgery options and how they can help you, call Sanctuary Cosmetic Center in Dulles or McLean, Virginia, or book an appointment online today.
