Eye Ptosis or Drooping Lids

Drooping lids are due to many causes. The patient usually has no complaints unless the lid droops enough to cover the pupil. In moderate degrees of ptosis, the patient tends to walk with the head tilted back, so that the eyes roll down below the offending lid and permit vision.

Ptosis in a child is a common congenital condition. Usually children are born with or develop it immediately afterwards. It is often seen in both eyes and is due to weakness of the muscle raising the upper lid (the levator muscle).

Ptosis in adults may be due to an injury to the lid or any disease thereof or following head injury.

Ptosis, if it is not combined with any other eye muscle weakness, can be surgically corrected. It is preferable to do it in children at an early age, thus preventing neck deformities caused by the continuous effort to hold the head back, especially if it is interfering with vision.

If ptosis is moderate and does not effect vision, the surgery may be delayed. The operation, though time-consuming, is quite safe, as only the lid is operated on. The child can be sent home in 24 hours or as soon as the lid swelling commences to subside.

The full effect of the operation is not seen till 4 months have gone. Often a second minor "fine tuning" operation may be needed to balance both lids and is done after 9 months.

Dustin Flores

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