Oculoplasty

introduction

What is Oculoplasty?

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.

What conditions may require Oculoplastic treatment?

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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

Treatment Modalities in Oculoplasty

While the exact treatment for a condition can only be decided by a trained oculoplastic surgeon, some common oculoplastic procedures are:

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

FAQ

Who is a good candidate for a cosmetic oculoplastic procedure?

Cosmetic procedures are often undertaken for patients above 18 years of age and in good medical health.

While the duration of stay depends on the procedure, most of the procedures do not require overnight stay. Several treatments can be provided on the day of the consultation itself. Some outpatient procedures may require more than one sitting.

These procedures are generally very safe. To make your procedures as safe as possible, we at Dr.Agarwals Eye hospitals have experienced and highly skilled medical professionals, state of the art technology and excellent infrastructure. We also take utmost precautions to ensure the procedures are safe for you.

The recovery period depends on the type and duration of surgery. There could be some eyelid swelling and bruising after the surgery, depending on the type of the surgery. Your surgeon can explain the downtime required. There might also be post-operative restriction on activities which will be explained to you by the surgeon.

The oculoplastic surgery may cost you around Rs. 1,00,000 or more per eye. Since oculoplasty is a highly sensitive surgery, it is best to get in touch with a renowned eye hospital to get it done. The surgery charges vary as per the hospital’s technology, infrastructure, services, and post-care facilities.  

Healing after oculoplasty surgery takes approximately 10-14 days. However, it is advised to take proper time off to give ample amount of rest to your eyelids. Here are the tips to help you recover in a faster and more efficient way: 

  1. Protect your eyes from sunlight exposure
  2. Reduce screen time and reading time
  3. Give your eyes plenty of rest
  4. Refrain from indulging in strenuous activities 
  5. Do not smoke
  6. Try to avoid cooking spicy food as it may irritate your eye 

Upon following these tips, your eyes will heal better, and no complications will occur from your end. 

To be prepared for the surgery, you may be asked to follow certain steps as advised by your oculoplasty surgeon:

 

  • Get the medical evaluation done to rule out any complications 
  • Go through your medical history to prepare accordingly
  • You might be asked to stop smoking 
  • You’ll be asked to avoid anti-inflammatory drugs or any supplements that may cause bleeding or blood thinning

 

Depending on your medical reports, there might be some additional steps you need to follow. Consult your oculoplasty surgeon to ensure no delay in surgery due to under preparation. 

 

In blepharoplasty, the incisions are made to remove the excess tissue causing hindrance. Since the skin is cut open, it will leave scars like any other operation. However, the scars start fading with time, and skin regeneration occurs; it starts to get pink and slowly mixes with the patient’s original skin colour over time. 

 

You can also consult with your oculoplasty surgeon regarding the concern and ask for some supplement or ointment to fasten the healing process. Refrain from using any over the counter steroids or medicines. 

 

In orbital decompression, some bone or tissue is removed from the eye socket in to ease the decompression. The surgery is painless, and patients are given general anaesthesia, depending on their current medical condition. 

 

At times, people do not face any symptoms until the tumour gets advanced. However, to be precautious, here is the list of most common eye tumour symptoms patients often face- 

  • Loss or blurriness in vision 
  • Squiggles and spots in the vision field
  • Losing certain parts of the field of vision 
  • A dark spot in the iris 
  • Pupil dilation or shape change 
  • Painful eye movement 

 

If you are facing any such symptoms, consult an oculoplasty specialist to ensure you are not suffering from any underlying eye disease. 

If the entropion and ectropion eye condition is left untreated for a longer time, it may cause vision loss. It is advised to consult with an oculoplasty surgeon to reverse this process and save your eyes from losing complete vision. 

Done under the supervision of an expert oculoplasty surgeon, the botox treatment is considered completely safe. Every year, many people opt for botox treatment to get rid of droopy eyelids, crow’s feet, and more by getting dermal fillers/ botox injections or any other treatment as required. 

 

If someone has hypothyroidism, it is imperative  closely observe the symptoms to get the correct diagnosis. If there is sign of hypothyroidism in one eye, they need to consult their doctor or an oculoplasty surgeon to get the right treatment. 

 

Also known as graves eye disease, not all hypothyroid patients suffer from this. Though it often affects one eye and sometimes both, it is advised to be precautious rather than late. 

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