Ptosis is a disorder characterized by drooping and sagging upper eyelids. Numerous factors can cause this to occur, and in severe situations, it may even impair vision and cause daily difficulties. So, is ptosis hereditary?
If this starts to happen, you will need eyelid surgery to get your eyesight back to normal and lessen the effects of the ptosis on your eyes. Hereditary mechanisms are one of the causes of ptosis. This is particularly true for ptosis that manifests in extreme forms.
Is Ptosis Hereditary?
Check out this primer if you think that your ptosis case would benefit from eyelid surgery to treat it, or if you’re just curious about the disease in general.
Ptosis Basics
Ptosis is generally relatively simple to detect. The main symptom is a drooping eyelid in one or both eyes. Ptosis is often indicated by very modest changes in the patient’s vision. There may occasionally be accompanying feelings of anxiety and weariness around the eyes.
To find out whether you have ptosis or not, you’ll ultimately have to rely on your doctor’s expertise. It is likely that they will be able to determine whether yours is expressed genetically or not.
Congenital Ptosis
Congenital ptosis is the term for ptosis that is inherited genetically. It affects people of all ethnicities and is just as common in men and women. Usually, congenital ptosis does not signal the existence of an underlying medical issue.
It usually indicates that your ptosis is not genetically inherited if it develops gradually over time. This is more often a sign of various underlying diseases that cause ptosis. Examples include underlying reasons and injury to the nerves.
How Do I Know if My Ptosis Is Congenital
Sometimes, it’s hard to tell if a patient has ptosis because of a genetic condition. Since this rules out some of the other typical causes of ptosis, such as aging, one of the biggest markers is if the ptosis appears at an exceptionally young age.
If you have close parents or relatives who have already experienced ptosis, it is another significant indicator. This could be a sign that you have some genetic inheritance related to your own ptosis. Apart from the previously mentioned ones, there aren’t many risk indicators that are fully understood at this time. NSCP is the name for the most prevalent kind of congenital ptosis.
Ultimately there are many obscure causes of ptosis in terms of medical conditions that can influence its development. Some of these conditions include the following:
- Horner syndrome
- Duane syndrome
- Myotonic dystrophy
- Trauma at birth
- Third cranial nerve palsy
- And many more
Treating Genetically-Induced Ptosis
If ptosis has an underlying cause, it can usually be resolved by treating the underlying ailment. However, the best line of action for addressing nerve damage is blepharoplasty. Other than the patient’s genes, there is no underlying medical problem in congenital ptosis. Nonetheless, the approaches to treatment are largely similar.
Blepharoplasty, or surgery on the eyelids, is a very effective way to treat or decrease the effects of ptosis. Upper eyelid surgery is the term for the eyelid operation performed to treat ptosis since it affects the upper eyelids.
During an upper eyelid surgery, your doctor works with the surrounding muscles and skin to reestablish a pleasing, symmetrical shape. Usually, this is enough to correct the ptosis and reconstruct the eye area.
Setting Up Your Medical Consultation
Depending on the details of your particular medical condition, your physician may recommend a number of additional procedures to enhance your procedural outcomes.
During your pre-operative visit, your doctor will go over all of this. This is the moment when you will be able to review all the pertinent details regarding your treatment.
Since every patient has a unique set of needs when it comes to ptosis repair, you will have the chance to discuss these topics in more detail.
How Long Do Eyelid Surgery Results Last?
The duration of upper and lower blepharoplasty varies with respect to the expected outcome length. If taken care of appropriately, lower blepharoplasty outcomes have a lengthy half-life and should last a lifetime.
However, after upper eyelid surgery, outcomes should continue to resist gravity for about 5-7 years, at which point revision surgery may be necessary.
Having said that, the majority of patients will just get an upper blepharoplasty to correct their ptosis. This is because lower eyelid surgery is not required in cases of ptosis, which usually affects only the upper eyelids.
The Best Eye Doctor in Ohio
Columbus Eyelid is one of the best venues for plastic surgery in Ohio. If you have congenital ptosis and would like to have it treated, contact us today to discuss your options for droopy eyelid surgery.
