Oculopasty
Oculoplasty is a term that covers a variety of procedures that involve eyelids, eyebrows, orbits, tears ducts, and the face. Oculoplastic procedures involve both medically necessary procedures and cosmetic procedures.
The scope of Oculoplasty extends across a wide range of procedures from correcting droopy eyelids to fitting artificial eye prosthesis. Oculoplastic surgeries are carried out by specially trained surgeons and are often highly customised, based on the patient’s condition.
Oculoplasty is often referred as both an art and a science that can help improve the function, comfort, and aesthetic appearance of the face.
- A trained Oculoplastic surgeon trained in both ophthalmology, as well as plastic surgery, is best suited in treating these conditions. Here are some common conditions that are treated under the speciality of Oculoplasty.
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Eyelid Ptosis
Ptosis is drooping of the upper eyelid which can sometimes block vision. This droop can be mild or it may be severe enough to cover the pupil. This condition may occur in both adults and children and can be effectively treated with medication and surgery or combination of both.
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Entropion and Ectropion
These are conditions that occur due to inversion or eversion of the eyelid margin. Entropion is the inward turning of the lower eyelid margin whereas Ectropion occurs when the eyelid margin turns outward. Both these conditions may cause tearing, discharge, corneal damage and impaired vision.
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Thyroid Eye Disease
Thyroid problems may affect the eyes as well. Thyroid eye disease can cause vision related problems like double vision, watering or redness. It can also cause cosmetic problems such as staring appearance, squinting, puffiness of the eye. These issues can be effectively dealt with by a trained oculoplastic surgeon either through medication or surgery.
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Eye tumors
Various types of eye tumors may occur in the eyelid or in the tissues around the eye. Some of them may cause decrease in vision.
These eye tumors can be effectively treated to restore both the functional and aesthetic appearance of the eye. Blurred vision, flashes of light, bulging of one eye are some of the many eye tumor symptoms.
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Cosmetic conditions
Under eye hollows, wrinkles around the eyes, baggy eyelids, frown lines and forehead lines can be effectively treated with a variety of oculplastic treatment such as blepharoplasty, botox injections, dermal fillers or browplasty depending on the condition.
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Congenital deformities & Traumatic injuries
Congenital deformities and traumatic injuries to the eye may sometimes require removal of the eye. In such situations, an orbital implant surgery followed by an artificial eye prosthesis fitting may be advised.
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While the exact treatment for a condition can only be decided by a trained oculoplastic surgeon, some common oculoplastic procedures are:
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Blepharoplasty
This is a surgical procedure undertaken to treat tired, hooded, baggy or drooping eyelids. This involves removing excess tissue from upper or lower eyelids. This helps in both improving vision and the aesthetic appearance of the eye. Brow lift is also a procedure that is often undertaken along with blepharoplasty.
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Botox Treatment
This involves injection of Botulinum toxin in the area around the eyes. This is performed with very fine needles post application of anaesthetic cream around the eyes. This procedure may be one time or done over several sittings and is often an outpatient procedure.
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Dermal fillers
This is an injection used to restore facial volume. It is often injected into the depressions below the eyes, around the lips, forehead and into thin lips. These injections are mostly painless and treated as an outpatient procedure using very fine needles.
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Orbital Decompression
Orbital decompression surgery, performed to treat bulgy eyes, involves removal or thinning of the various orbital walls to enable expansion of the eye socket, allowing the eyeball to settle back and restore the aesthetic and functional ability of the eyes. This is a major surgery and should be undertaken only by experienced surgeons.