Eyelid Surgery
EYELID SURGERY
Eyelid Surgery
If you are diagnosed with a condition and surgery is recommended, your doctor or doctor's assistant will tell you about the specific procedure and what to expect as well as any possible complications or side effects. While your specific case may differ, most surgical and diagnostic procedures require no hospitalization and are done on an outpatient basis and allow patients to go home the same day of the procedure.
Getting Eyelid Surgery
- Cataract Surgery – Cataracts are common and affect almost 75% of the American population aged 65 and over. This gradual clouding of the eye’s lens results in a reduction in vision as you age. Cataract surgery procedures remove the cloudy and hardened lens and the surgeon replaces the clouded lens with a new, artificial lens called an intraocular lens. Depending on your case, it is also possible during your cataract procedure to use a specific intraocular lens to correct distortions in your vision, which could reduce or remove your dependence on glasses.
- Refractive Surgery – Refractive surgery procedures use various techniques and implements, such as lasers or implanted lenses, to correct visual distortions and improve your vision. The most commonly performed refractive surgery procedure is LASIK, which stands for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, but there are many different procedures available to correct many types of refractive errors including:
- Nearsightedness (myopia)
- Farsightedness (hyperopia)
- Astigmatism
- Presbyopia
- Cornea Transplant – A healthy and clear cornea is a key element of our vision. In the event of injury or disease, the cornea can become swollen, misshapen, and even scarred leading to a loss of clarity that affects your vision. In many cases, the only way to restore the function of the cornea is to remove damaged or unhealthy cornea tissue and replace it with clear cornea tissue from a donor. This procedure is called a cornea transplant.
- Glaucoma Surgery – Glaucoma is damage to your optic nerve usually due to elevated pressure in the eye. Surgeries to address this may include trabeculectomy, aqueous shunt implantation, laser trabeculoplasty or laser peripheral iridotomy.
- Eyelid Surgery – Common eyelid surgeries can address drooping eyelids or excess eyelid skin. Surgery may include blepharoplasty or ptosis repair surgeries.
Where Can I Find More Information About Eye Surgery Procedures?
If you have been diagnosed with an eye condition and your doctor has recommended a specific treatment or procedure, the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Eyesmart site is a fantastic resource. This site offers an easy way to get medically-accurate information about your condition and treatment.
