The most common eyelid problem is age-related drooping of the upper eyelid skin. When the skin rests on the lashes it obstructs vision.
Typically, people raise their brows to clear their vision. Raising the brows causes deep forehead lines.
Brow ache occurs when the brow fatigues with prolonged driving or reading. When the brow relaxes, the upper lid skin droops down, disturbs vision and causes eye fatigue.
An Upper Lid Eyelift simply removes the drooping skin.
This is a minor surgery taking less than an hour.
You are a candidate for this procedure if, while looking straight ahead with your brow relaxed, skin touches your lashes, or if you feel the lids are heavy.
Medicare and other insurers may provide coverage when sagging skin causing visual problems is properly documented.
If your lids concern you, or you would like to see if you qualify for insurance coverage, please schedule a consultation.
I look forward to helping you
What You Should Know About Eyelifts
- What is the relation between drooping upper lids and forehead lines?
- What symptoms can upper lid droop cause?
- What does an Eyelift do?
- When does Medicare cover Eyelifts?
- What are the major complications of Eyelift surgery, and how do you avoid them?
- What about surgery to correct baggy lower eyelids?
What is the relation between drooping upper lids, and forehead lines?
Are you tired of drooping, baggy eyelids? Of big lines in your forehead?
Both have the same cause – aging of the upper face.
Aging causes the brow and upper lid skin to sag. Brow droop worsens upper lid droop.
Drooping brow and upper lid skin weigh directly on the upper lids, causing them to ride lower on the eye. Upper lid skin may even rest on the lashes, obscuring the lid margin.
These brow and lid changes partially block your upper vision – at which point your brain takes over, and makes you raise your brow. Raising the brow causes forehead wrinkles.
If you have prominent forehead lines, you are raising your brow – in order to see. Your brain is trying to lift that extra brow and upper lid tissue off of your upper lids in order to open your eyes.
However, most people with forehead wrinkles are not even aware that they are raising their brows. They are shocked when they actually see a picture of themselves trying to open their eyes without raising their brows. Many can barely open their eyes at all.
What symptoms can upper lid droop cause?
Once aware of habitually raising the brow, many people realize that their eye problems- fatigue while reading, forehead and eye ache, difficulty with nighttime driving, having to tilt their head backs to see street signs, loss of side vision while driving, hitting their heads on low overhead objects, even dizziness – are caused by brow and upper lid droop.
What does an Eyelift do?
Eyelifts alone often take enough weight off the upper lids so that full vision is restored without raising the brow. In this case, the brain relaxes the brow, and brow related forehead wrinkles and fatigue disappear. Sometimes, the brow must be restored to its normal position through a brow support procedure.
A short, in- office eyelift procedure can restore a fresh, natural look. Removing excess lid tissue improves eyelid function, freshens the face, and restores a youthful appearance. Eyelifts alone may produce much of the effect of an entire facelift.
When does Medicare cover Eyelifts?
Medicare, and other insurance, covers lifting the upper lid skin and brow if their drooping is causing visual problems. Insurance qualification requires careful photo documentation, and computerized visual field testing.
Ophthalmologists, particularly those with specialized eye plastic surgery training, are uniquely qualified to perform and interpret these qualifying exams.
What are the major complications of Eyelift Surgery,
and how do you avoid them?
The major complications of eyelid surgery relate to dry eye, eyelid deformity, and damage to the eye and vision. Ophthalmologists with specialized training in eyelid plastic surgery are most qualified to diagnose and treat these complications, and are referred to by more general plastic surgeons if these complications arise.
The most common mistake in Eyelift surgery is to remove too much tissue. This causes an overly done surgical appearance, and may also prevent the lids from closing properly during sleep, causing dry eye. The best way to prevent this complication is careful measurement of excess tissue with the eyes closed while the patient is in a fully reclined, sleep position. Experience matters.
What about surgery to correct baggy lower eyelids?
Aging also affects the lower eyelids. The skin itself loosens, which may allow underlying fat to bulge outward, causing unsightly lower eyelid bags. Further, the lid itself may stretch out, causing it to lie lower on the eye, decreasing tear film support.
The lower lid provides the major support for the tear film, which provides both comfort and clear vision. Careful assessment of the tear film, and its support, especially in contact lens wearers, and in patients with underlying dry eye, is particularly important in lower eyelid surgery planning.
Again, this is done best by ophthalmologists with specialty training in eyelid plastic surgery. They are able to diagnose and treat dry eye, and are experienced in tightening and raising the entire lower lid.
Actual Patients
Problem
This patient complained of eye fatigue with prolonged reading and fluctuating vision.
Solution
After an Upper Eyelift Procedure, the tiredness around the eyes was relieved and she was able to read for prolonged periods without fatigue.
Further, episodes of dizziness which had bothered her for years went away. This is probably due to the Eyelift Procedure allowing her to keep her eyes fully open, eliminating bothersome upper lid intrusion into her superior visual field.
Problem
This patient was aware of eye fatigue with reading, as well as decreased peripheral vision while driving, particularly to the left.
Again, the full extent of his lid droop was not evident until he fully relaxed his brow.
Solution
After Upper Eyelift Procedure, comfortable prolonged reading returned. In fact, he stopped giving his National Geographic Magazines away to his son, because he began to enjoy reading them again.
In addition, he had cosmetic lower eyelid surgery to remove protruding lower lid fat bags, and to tighten the lower lid skin.
Problem
This patient also complained of eye fatigue while reading. In order to read she raised her brow to lift the skin off her lashes.
When the brow eventually fatigued and fell, she would experience tiredness around the eyes, and difficulty reading.
Solution
After Upper Eyelift Procedure, she was able to read at length comfortably. Further, she realized her peripheral vision while driving was significantly improved.
Like many patients, the full extent of her upper lid droop was not apparent until she completely relaxed her brow, as seen in the before photo on the left.
Problem
This Patient was aware of impaired peripheral vision while driving, as well as fatigue with reading.
With his brow relaxed, the severity of his upper lid droop is evident.
Solution
After the Upper Eyelift Procedure, his driving and reading vision were comfortable again, and he was quite pleased.
He commented “all the light is coming in now – I can see everything.”
