Ptosis (Droopy Eyelid) Treatment in Bellevue, WA

What is Ptosis?

A elderly person with droppy eyelids, a cndidate for Ptosis Repair

Ptosis is also called “drooping eyelid.” It is caused by weakness of the muscle responsible for raising the eyelid, damage to the nerves that control those muscles, or looseness of the skin of the upper eyelids.

Ptosis Causes

Drooping eyelids can be caused by the normal aging process, a congenital abnormality (present before birth), or the result of an injury or disease.

Ptosis Risk Factors

Risk factors include aging, diabetes, stroke, Horner syndrome, myasthenia gravis, and a brain tumor or other cancer, which can affect nerve or muscle reactions.

Ptosis Symptoms

  • Drooping of one or both eyelids
  • Increased tearing
  • If the ptosis is severe, interference with vision.

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Ptosis Treatment

Dr. Tarbet will do a physical examination to determine the cause, as well as take pictures. A visual field test will also be required to determine if it is medically necessary. This test takes about forty-five minutes. In some cases, a special test may be done to evaluate suspected causes, such as myasthenia gravis.

If an underlying disease is found, the treatment will be specific to that disease. Most cases of ptosis are associated with aging and there is no disease involved.

Surgery can be done to improve the appearance of the eyelids in milder cases if the patient wants it. In more severe cases, surgery may be necessary to correct interference with vision. In children with ptosis, surgery may be necessary to prevent amblyopia (lazy eye).

The expected outcome depends on the cause of the ptosis. Surgery is usually very successful in restoring appearance and function.


What are the non-surgical treatment options for ptosis?

Portrait of beautiful woman getting a botox injection. beauty injections and cosmetology

While you may have heard claims of eye drops or creams addressing ptosis if they do anything at all it’s usually only for a few hours. Skin tightening treatments, such as those using radiofrequency energy, are also only good for a couple of weeks before the eyelid droops again.

Dr. Tarbet has had success with Botox injections in some patients. If Botox is injected into the upper outer brow and various specific points on the forehead, this can help to open the eyelids and it takes the weight off the brows and sub-brow tissue of the upper eyelids. Botox injections are not permanent solutions, as their results last from 4-6 months.

Really the only effective treatment for ptosis is surgery to address the levator muscles that lift the eyelids.

“She’s beautiful, and she knows how to make others beautiful. Hands-down the best at fillers and botox in the country! It’s extremely rare that any plastic surgeon attempts to correct under-eye hollows, and Dr. Tarbet does this to perfection!”


What happens if I leave my ptosis untreated?

Ptosis will not resolve on its own. If you leave your sagging eyelids untreated, they will simply droop lower and lower. In some patients, they will eventually begin to hinder vision. If nothing else, the drooping eyelids of ptosis will make your face age dramatically.


Can ptosis be caused by stress?

Ptosis is not caused by stress. In some cases, ptosis can be caused by conditions that injure the brain or its cranial nerves. This is because the eye muscles are controlled by nerves that come from the brain. But this is a sign of a stroke, a brain tumor, a brain aneurysm, or nerve damage due to diabetes; it is not due to stress.


Can mild ptosis correct itself?

Ptosis will not resolve itself, as it is typically due to issues with the muscles that control the eyelid. Mild ptosis will advance to moderate ptosis.


When is eyelid surgery necessary to correct ptosis?

The drooping of ptosis doesn’t require surgery in the early stages. And for some people who are not bothered by the sagging in their eyelids, surgery may never be necessary. But if the drooping eyelid or eyelids begin to infringe upon your field of vision, then surgery is necessary. Fortunately, once your vision becomes impaired by the drooping eyelid insurance typically will cover the procedure.

Others don’t like the way their drooping eyelids age their face. After all, the eyes are the focal point of the face, so if your eyelids are sagging and droopy that will make your overall face look older. This is the basis of blepharoplasty, cosmetic eyelid surgery. Ptosis surgery isn’t focused on removing excess skin, as in blepharoplasty, but on tightening the levator muscles.


As mentioned above, ptosis has nothing to do with the brain; it is simply due to sagging and drooping of the eyelid. This is usually due to the passage of time and the slackening of skin and support muscles. Ptosis can also be a side effect from blepharoplasty or from an eye injury.


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