Blepharoptosis – 1

Patients with blepharoptosis are in need of double eyelid surgery in conjunction with the ptosis repair. Often times even when the patient shows only minor signs of blepharoptosis, in order to achieve more aesthetically desired look, the patient gets ptosis correction when they undergo double eyelid surgery.

Today, we are going to talk about the kinds of blepharotosis.

Blepharoptosis can be divided into 3 different categories. The first one is congenital ptosis. Congenital ptosis is usually from excess eyelid skin and orbital fat that hinders the eyesight as well as prevents the double eyelid fold from forming. Some of the subcategories include, simple ptosis, and weak muscle ptosis (levator palpebrae superioris and/or Müller’s muscle). Also, a condition called, Blepharophimosis syndrome falls into the category of congenital ptosis. Blepharophimosis syndrome is a condition where the palpebral fissure of the eye is inherently too small that it hinders one’s vision. Patients diagnosed with blepharophimosis need to undergo ptosis repair with double eyelid surgery when they are young in order to achieve normal eye function. Other conditions that fall into the category of congenital ptosis include, synkinetic ptosis, Marcus-Gunn jaw winking ptosis, and misdirected third cranial nerve ptosis.

The second type of ptosis is acquired ptosis. There can be multiple reasons why the patients acquire such condition (ptosis). One is neurogenic problem, where the neuronal signals between neuromuscular junctions is not functioning well. Another one is myogenic ptosis. This occurs when the actin-myosin complex within the muscles associated with lifting the eyelid has some problems. Traumatic ptosis is when the patient who has experienced trauma develops ptosis. Mechanical ptosis is also one type of acquired ptosis.

The last type of ptosis is pseudoptosis. Pseudoptosis includes anophthalmia, microphthalmia, phthisis bulbi, hypotropia, and dermochalasis.

Young patients with congenital ptosis almost always undergo ptosis repair coupled with double eyelid surgery in order to hide the incision scar made from ptosis repair.