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Eyelid Surgery to Treat Ptosis

Woman eye.

What is Ptosis

Ptosis is the condition that occurs when the upper eyelid droops. Besides creating a tired or intoxicated expression, ptosis may impede vision, due to its covering of the pupil slightly or entirely. In the most extreme case, ptosis may make it impossible to lift your eyelid without using your hands to lift it up.

Ptosis may be present at birth; this is called congenital ptosis. The most common form of ptosis, when it is not present at birth, is called senile, or age-related ptosis. Ptosis can be caused by nerve problems, muscle diseases or eye problems. If you have ptosis, a medical evaluation is needed to ensure it does not relate to a larger health problem.

As far as looks go, ptosis makes the affected eye seem to be smaller than it actually is. You also may lose definition in your upper eyelid crease. A common mechanical response to re-open your eyelid is to raise the eyebrows, which is known to cause headaches and can create a look of shock or asymmetry.

Treatments For Ptosis

Surgery is virtually the only surefire way to treat this condition. Blepharoplasty, also known as eyelid surgery, can only improve the appearance of the eyelid. Eyelid surgery has many medical benefits; it can improve the following: drooping skin, excess fatty deposits that create “puffy eyes,” bags under the eyes, excess skin on the lower eyelid. For ptosis repair, more specific surgical maneuvers need to be performed.

The surgery performed on ptosis usually involves tightening the levator muscle – the muscle that raises the upper eyelid- as a means of lifting the resting position of the eyelid margin. In other cases, the muscle has fully detached from the upper eyelid structures and needs to be re-attached again.

The most suitable candidates for eyelid surgery are healthy individuals without medical conditions or illnesses that may prevent healing. Those without serious eye conditions are good candidates, and smokers do not qualify.

About Our NYC Eyelid Surgeon

Dr. Westreich is able to treat some forms of ptosis. In more complicated cases, he may enlist the assistance of an ophthalmologic surgeon. He is double-board certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology. He has an academic appointment with SUNY Downstate Medical Center and is on staff at Lenox Hill, Mount Sinai, Roosevelt, and Methodist Hospitals. One of his many specialties is eyelid rejuvenation. If you have ptosis, you may qualify for surgery if you meet the above criteria, but it is best to schedule a consultation with Dr. Westreich. He will work with you to determine what the best option for your condition is and deliver a safe surgery that will deliver a youthful look.

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Dr. Richard William Westreich is double-board certified Facial Plastic Surgery

If you are unhappy with your appearance, we encourage you to contact our office. You may be surprised to learn how such a small change can improve your whole appearance and self-esteem. When performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon, such as Dr. Westreich, you can expect to receive some of the best facial plastic surgery results available in New York. Please contact our NYC office to set up your initial consultation.

PRACTICE POLICY UPDATE REGARDING COVID-19

Coronavirus (Covid-19) Update

Updated March 25th, 2020

After serious consideration and in line with the recommendations of our State and Centers for Disease Control (CDC), we have been closed since March 19th and will continue to close the practice until April 20th.

Your health and well-being is our primary concern and we want to do our part to make sure that you are protected.

Effective immediately the following will occur:

All procedures and in-person consultations will be suspended until April 6th.

Key staff members are working remotely to provide clinical patient support and re-scheduling options

Only urgent post-surgical follow-ups will be seen by Dr. Westreich and full PPE will be worn. These will be decided on a case by case basis and limited to 1 patient at a time.

We are instituting Virtual Consultations for all potential patients.

All elective surgeries are rescheduled until after April 20th

No patient will ever have any financial recourse for rescheduling their procedures.

We are constantly updating our services and staffing according to the local and national recommendations and will always place your health and well-being as our top priority.

We continue to exercise all the latest recommendations that are handed down by the CDC. When we reopen to patients, we will continue to follow these practices. These include:

Staff have been fully informed and trained to understand the disease process and its modes of transmission.

All staff, vendors and ancillary personnel are being asked to refrain from coming to this office if they have any signs or symptoms of a cold or an upper respiratory tract infection.

Every patient is also being asked to refrain from coming to the office if they have any symptoms.

We are asking our patients about any pertinent travel history.

Hand-washing continues to be the most important mode of prevention. Although it is a part of what we constantly do, now we are doing so with heightened vigilance and attention.

We have instituted a “no handshakes no hug” policy for now.

We have asked all vendors that any unnecessary meetings are canceled until further notice.

We are constantly sanitizing all surfaces. We have now vamped that up and our routine, multiple times a day, wiping down all surfaces, desks, door handles, keyboards and restroom facilities. We have assigned a person that does so on a constant basis.

Although Covid-19 is a serious issue, we strongly believe that it will pass and hopefully make our infrastructure and our ability to deal with pandemics in this Country even better than it currently is. We are monitoring this situation on a real-time basis and will not sit back until we know that we have done everything possible to avoid unnecessary exposure.

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Please do not hesitate to contact us. We are always here to answer your questions