Congenital eyelid ptosis

Congenital ptosis can occur in one or both eyes.

Having a lower than normal upper eyelid is not only an aesthetic problem, but also entails visual consequences for the child. In addition to reducing the field of vision more or less significantly, if it covers part of the pupil, it can prevent the child from receiving adequate visual stimulation during the first years of life, a key stage in which vision is still in the making.

It is therefore important to treat congenital ptosis early, avoiding, for example, that it can lead to a “lazy eye” that has not learned to see correctly.

Furthermore, from a certain age, this eyelid malposition can affect self-esteem and social relationships during school.

In children born with ptosis, this is usually due to a problem related to the development of the eyelid levator muscle during pregnancy. In less frequent cases, it can also be caused by an involvement of the nerve that gives mobility to this muscle or other neurological disorders.

Likewise, congenital ptosis can be part of a syndrome, such as Marcus-Gunn syndrome (elevation of the eyelid at the same time as the jaw moves) or blepharophimosis (set of eyelid malformations).

Eyelid ptosis requires surgical treatment, which, especially if it affects vision, it is important to perform early. At the Miranza clinics, we have ophthalmologists who are experts in minimally invasive oculoplastic surgery techniques, which avoid visible scars on the child’s face and offer high efficiency and safety.

These are surgeries we can perform even before the age of one, if required, debunking the misconception that we have to wait until the child is older to be able to operate.