Restore Clear Vision

When your upper eyelid droops down and blocks your vision, it’s more than just a cosmetic concern. It can seriously affect your daily life. Ptosis repair is a specialized surgery that lifts your eyelid back to its normal position, improving both your vision and appearance. Our surgeons have performed thousands of these procedures and understand exactly how to restore your eyelid to the right height while maintaining a natural look.

What is Ptosis Repair?

Ptosis (pronounced “toe-sis”) means your upper eyelid droops down too low, kind of like a window shade that’s pulled partway down. This happens when the muscle that lifts your eyelid gets weak or detached from where it should be connected. It’s not about having too much skin or fat – that’s a different problem entirely. Ptosis is specifically about the muscle that’s supposed to keep your eyelid up, not doing its job properly.

You might be born with weak eyelid muscles, or they can develop over time from things like wearing contact lenses, rubbing your eyes a lot, getting older, or having eye surgery. The key thing is that this needs specialized repair by someone who really knows eyelid anatomy. Learn more about our consultation process to find out if ptosis repair is right for you.

What Can Ptosis Repair Accomplish?

Fixing droopy eyelids can make a big difference in several ways:

Open up your field of vision by lifting the eyelid off your pupil
Eliminate the tired look that comes with droopy eyelids
Improve your ability to see clearly without tilting your head back
Restore symmetry when one eyelid droops more than the other

Ptosis Repair Techniques

We choose the best approach based on how your particular eyelid muscle is working:

Levator Advancement

This is the most common technique, where we tighten and reattach the main lifting muscle to get your eyelid back to the right height. We make a small cut in your natural eyelid crease, so any scar is well hidden.

Muller's Muscle Resection

For milder cases of ptosis, we can remove a small piece of a secondary lifting muscle through the inside of your eyelid. This avoids any external scars and works well for certain types of drooping.

Frontalis Suspension

When the main lifting muscle is really weak, we create a connection between your eyelid and your forehead muscle, so you can use your brow to help lift your eyelid.

Adjustable Sutures

Sometimes we use special stitches that let us fine-tune the eyelid height during the first week after surgery to get the perfect result for your face.

BEFORE & AFTER PTOSIS REPAIR

View Ptosis Repair Gallery

Procedures Commonly Combined with Ptosis Repair

We often combine ptosis repair with other eyelid procedures:

Upper Blepharoplasty

If you have both droopy muscles and excess skin, we can fix both problems during the same surgery for better overall results.

Brow Lift

Sometimes a droopy brow contributes to the appearance of ptosis, so we might need to address both the brow position and the eyelid muscle.

Lower Eyelid Surgery

When both upper and lower eyelids need work, combining procedures can give you more balanced, natural-looking results.

Vision Field Testing

We may need to document how much your droopy eyelids are affecting your vision, especially for insurance purposes.

How Much Does Ptosis Repair Cost?

Many insurance plans cover ptosis repair when it’s blocking your vision enough to interfere with daily activities. The insurance company will want documentation showing exactly how much your vision is affected, usually including special photographs and vision field tests. Medicare and most other insurers have specific requirements that must be met for coverage. We handle all the insurance paperwork and pre-authorization process for you.

Recovery & Results

Ptosis repair is usually done right in our office and takes about 15-20 minutes per eyelid. You’ll be awake but comfortable with numbing medicine. Expect some swelling and bruising for the first week or two – this is completely normal. Most people go back to work within a few days, though you should avoid heavy lifting or exercise for about two weeks. The final results take a few weeks to settle as swelling goes down. Most patients are thrilled with how much better they can see and how much more alert they look. The repair typically lasts for many years, though aging will continue gradually over time.

Candidates for Ptosis Repair

You might benefit from ptosis repair if you have:

Upper eyelids that hang down and block part of your vision
A tired appearance, even when you feel rested
Difficulty keeping your eyes open or frequent eyebrow raising
One eyelid that sits noticeably lower than the other

LEADERS IN OCULOFACIAL PLASTIC SURGERY IN HOUSTON, THE WOODLANDS, TX AND PENSACOLA, FL

Houston, TX Location

At our Houston office, we deliver advanced cosmetic and reconstructive eyelid surgery techniques in a welcoming environment. Our experienced team focuses on achieving natural-looking results tailored to each person’s unique anatomy and goals.

Schedule a Consultation at our Houston Location

The Woodlands, TX Location

In The Woodlands, we offer consultations and clinic services, providing our expertise, artistry, and exceptional care to points north of Houston.

Schedule a Consultation at The Woodlands Location

Pensacola, FL Location

At our Pensacola office, we deliver advanced eyelid surgery techniques in a serene coastal environment. Our experienced team focuses on achieving natural-looking results tailored to each patient’s unique anatomy and aesthetic goals.

Schedule a Consultation at The Pensacola Location

Frequently Asked Questions About Ptosis Repair

Will insurance cover my ptosis repair surgery?

Insurance often covers ptosis repair, but only if your droopy eyelids are significantly blocking your vision. We need to document this with special tests and photographs that show how much your vision is affected. Each insurance company has slightly different rules, but most require that your eyelid is drooping enough to interfere with normal daily activities. We’ll help determine if you qualify and handle all the insurance paperwork.

How do you decide how high to lift my eyelid?

Getting the height just right is really important for natural-looking results. We measure your eyelids carefully before surgery and compare them to your other eye and to normal measurements. During surgery, we often have you sit up and open your eyes so we can see exactly how the eyelid position looks. Some techniques even let us adjust the height during the first week after surgery to get it perfect.

Can ptosis come back after surgery?

Ptosis repair usually lasts for many years, but since aging continues, some people do develop mild drooping again over time. The good news is that it rarely comes back to the same degree as before surgery. If it does return significantly, the repair can usually be repeated with good results.

What's the difference between ptosis repair and regular eyelid surgery?

Regular eyelid surgery (Blepharoplasty) removes excess skin and fat but doesn’t fix droopy muscles. Ptosis repair specifically targets the muscle that lifts your eyelid. Many people need both procedures, but they address completely different problems. If you just have ptosis repair when you also need skin removal, your eyelids still won’t look right, and vice versa.

Is ptosis repair painful?

Most patients are surprised by how comfortable the procedure is. We use numbing medicine so you don’t feel anything during surgery. Afterward, most people describe it as mild soreness rather than real pain. Over-the-counter pain medication is usually enough to keep you comfortable. The worst part is usually the swelling and bruising, which looks more dramatic than it feels.

How long does Ptosis surgery take?

The procedure typically takes 10-20 minutes, depending on the complexity and whether the eyelid has had previous surgery.

Will there be visible scars after Ptosis surgery?

Scars are minimal and typically hidden in the natural crease or on the underside of the eyelid, making them virtually undetectable.

Can Ptosis surgery improve my vision?

Yes, lifting droopy eyelids can significantly improve peripheral vision, let more light into the eye, and even decrease some refractive errors.

Contact Us for a Consultation

Ready to lift those droopy eyelids and see the world clearly again? Contact our offices in Houston, The Woodlands, or Pensacola, FL, today to schedule a personalized consultation with our expert surgeons. Let us help you open up your field of vision and regain that alert, refreshed appearance with the precise ptosis repair expertise you deserve.

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Ptosis Repair