Ptosis repair before and after photos

This page shows before and after photographs of patients who have undergone ptosis surgery, surgery to repair slipped muscles inside the eyelid. These photos should be considered a reference and not a prediction for how you will look after surgery. Additional information about different types of surgery to repair droopy eyelids including blepharoplasty, ptosis repair and brow lift is available in information section of this website.

Patient 1 - Before and after upper eyelid ptosis repair and blepharoplasty

Description: This is a male patient who had a significant amount of eyelid drooping (ptosis) in addition to excess skin. This patient had lost a significant amount of peripheral vision on the left side and was so droopy on the right that he had difficulty with central vision in that eye. In addition to vision loss, he had a very tired appearance.

The muscles which elevate his eyelids had become stretched out over time and were not properly attached to the structural support of the eyelid. In addition to removing skin, the muscles in the interior of his eyelids needed to be repaired. This is a more technically difficult operation and is usually only performed by ophthalmic plastic surgeons. His postoperative photo shows a dramatic improvement over his preoperative appearance. His eyelids no longer block his vision and he reports that the world around him appears much brighter. He appears much more alert and awake. On close inspection, there is a small nodule on the outer portion of the right upper eyelid, which will resolve on its own in an additional one to two months.

Droopy eyelids can cause significant problems in patients' professional lives. Before surgery, several employers accused this patient of being intoxicated or staying up all night. Patients who pursue plastic surgery are not necessarily "vain", as appearances are extremely important in the workplace. Imagine that the preoperative and postoperative photographs represented different people. If both of these people were interviewing for the same job, who do you think would be more likely to get hired?

Patient 2 - Before and after ptosis repair, one side

Description: This is a male patient in his mid-30s with a drooping eyelid on the right side only. The drooping eyelid was affecting his peripheral vision and causing him to look tired. As you can see, his eyelid is not drooping due to excess skin. The muscle which raises his right upper eyelid had slipped from its attachment and required repair. Most ptosis surgery is performed through an external eyelid crease incision, similar to the incision used during blepharoplasty surgery. This patient underwent internal ptosis surgery, performed through an incision on the back of the eyelid. Surgery was performed on the right side only. The main advantage to performing the surgery through an internal incision is the rapid recovery compared to ptosis surgery with an external incision. Most patients can return to work within a few days and the eyelid is often fully healed within one week. As you can see he has excellent symmetry after surgery.

Patient 3 - Before and after ptosis repair and upper blepharoplasty

Description: These photos show a female patient in her 50s with significant drooping of both upper eyelids, worse on the right side. She underwent bilateral upper blepharoplasty as well as ptosis repair. She has a sad, tired look before surgery and looks more alert and happy after surgery.