Precautions for Ptosis Surgery

  Ptosis is a condition in which the upper eyelid (upper eyelid) covers part or all of the pupil due to the inability of the levator muscle to open the lid, resulting in partial or total failure to lift the upper lid. In severe cases, the upper eyelid cannot be lifted and often looks up at the sky. In normal people, the upper eyelid is 1-2mm below the corneal limbus when the eyes are naturally flat, and in ptosis the upper eyelid covers more than 2mm of the upper cornea.  The timing of surgery for congenital ptosis is generally appropriate after the age of 3 to 5 years, but in severe cases, surgery can be performed earlier; in cases with strabismus, the strabismus is corrected before the ptosis is corrected. In cases of acquired ptosis, such as trauma or neurogenic ptosis, surgery can be performed after six months to a year of stabilization; in elderly ptosis, surgery can be performed when the visual axis is obscured or the appearance is affected.  The choice of surgical procedure is based on the strength of the patient’s levator muscle.  1) Utilizing the strength of the levator muscle: suitable for those with good strength of the levator muscle, the surgical procedure includes shortening of the levator muscle, anterior apprenticeship or folding.  2. Utilization of frontalis muscle strength: suitable for poor levator muscle strength (0-4mm), using frontalis flap. The surgical approaches are direct use of the frontalis muscle; indirect use of the frontalis muscle (using an intermediate to connect the frontalis muscle to the upper lid).  Because patients vary, and because each procedure has its own advantages and shortcomings, it is difficult to recover a completely ideal degree of postoperative effect that achieves basic symmetry in the size of both eyes when viewed directly in front of the eyes.  Cautions after surgery: 1. 24 hours of postoperative bandaging and local cold compresses are required to reduce bleeding and swelling at the incision.  2, appropriate oral antibiotics such as cephalosporins to prevent the occurrence of infection.  3.Keep the incision clean and dry for 1 week after surgery, and avoid contact with water.  4.Remove the stitches 5-7 days after surgery.  5.For 3 months or even longer after surgery, the eyelids may not close completely. Attention should be paid to applying more eye ointment before bed to protect the cornea and prevent exposure keratitis.  6. Early postoperative results may be poor due to swelling, and the final results of the surgery can be seen only after the tissue swelling has completely subsided in 3-6 months.  7.Patients should follow the doctor’s instructions for regular follow-up after surgery and take medication on time.