Sugar Land TX Thyroid Eye Disease Treatment

In Sugar Land TX Thyroid Eye Disease Treatment is exclusively found at Plastic Eye Surgery Associates. Many people in the Houston area suffer from Thyroid Eye Disease. This is a complex disease that involves one’s own immune system attacking the tissues around the eyes. Also called TED, Graves’ disease, or thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy, this disorder causes double vision, severe facial disfigurement, and even blindness.In the past, thyroid eye disease treatment starts with steroids or radiation to control inflammation. Later, several surgeries are usually necessary to try to correct permanent damage. Luckily, the doctors at Plastic Eye Surgery Associates are here for you. Thyroid Eye Disease is often related to autoimmune disorders of the thyroid. However, many people can have a normal thyroid function and still have eye involvement. For many people, the symptoms can be unbearable.First, people note their eyes are red, irritated, and scratchy. The eye starts pushing out as the eyelids become more open. Next, the vision changes occur. Dryness can cause blurry vision. Or, you can see double. Often, active inflammation around the eyes causes these changes to progress very rapidly. People with TED then complain of their eyes becoming red, swollen, and painful, especially when looking around.

Recently, a breakthrough has happened! The FDA approved the only Thyroid Eye Disease, called Tepezza. This treatment can stop the destructive inflammation and prevent horrible changes from happening. Additionally, Tepezza can even reverse some of the eye problems that cause vision loss.

A Stranger in the Mirror

First, your own immune cells begin attacking the tissues around the eyes in Thyroid Eye Disease. Therefore, the muscles that move the eye, fat around the eye, and the eyelids are all affected. The immune attack causes fat and muscle cells to get bigger and expand as well as scar tissue to develop. As the muscles and fat expand behind the eye, they push the eyeball out of the socket. At the same time, the eyelids retract, opening the eyes and exposing the surface of the eye to air even more. Can all of these horrible things happen to your eyes at once? Talk about bulging eyes! As the eyeball pushes out and the eyelids open too much, the eye can’t close.  Then, the eyes become very dry, irritated, and red. This is very painful.

Also, people look into a mirror and don’t even recognize themselves anymore.  They see bulging and swollen eyes that make them look strange. How sad to have your face look so different than it did just a few months ago! Even more so, people can go blind. The bigger fat and muscles compress the optic nerve, which is like a cable cord connecting your eye to your brain. Additionally, the nerve is stretched out as the eye moves forward. All of this can lead to nerve damage and vision loss.

Plastic Eye Surgery Associates in Sugar Land, TX

This sounds like a very complex process.  Who do patients turn to for help? Well, the doctors at Plastic Eye Surgery Associates are specialists in Thyroid Eye Disease and treatment. They have been leading the charge in Houston and Sugar Land, TX for Thyroid Eye Disease treatment for decades. Our board-certified surgeons are the best at handling these complicated cases.

As mentioned before, treatment begins controlling the inflammation. First, we can choose steroids, IV medications, or even radiation.  Unfortunately, many of these options can have side effects like weight gain, liver problems, and insomnia. Once the inflammation is under control, the scarring and permanent changes are still apparent. At that time, our expert surgeons perform corrective surgery to try to lessen the permanent damage. However, you can’t reverse changes from Thyroid Eye Disease. Progression or relapse can also still occur at a slow rate.

Plastic Surgery for Thyroid Eye Disease Treatment

To begin, surgical treatment for Thyroid Eye Disease happens in 3 steps. First, orbital decompression opens the bones in the orbit and sinuses. This relieves pressure on the optic nerve and gives more space in the eye socket.  Thus, the eye can return to a more normal position in the skull. Second, eye muscle surgery is performed to correct the double vision. With damage to the eye muscles, the eyes can be pulled in different directions, looking all wonky. They also don’t move fully side-to-side or up and down. That’s why surgery is needed to make the eyes look straight again.

Finally, eyelid surgery is needed to make the eyes close again.  We can also remove some of the puffiness around the eyes and eye bags at this time.  This order for thyroid eye disease treatment is important because each procedure affects the next one after. The first priority is saving vision, but often this disease causes severe facial disfigurement.  People become insecure and less confident about their facial appearance with this disease.  Thankfully, our expert doctors are the best plastic surgeons to correct these issues.