Oculoplastic Surgery

As we age or mature, our eye lids can stretch, sag, become hollow or even “baggy.” Excess sun exposure and outdoor activities without the proper protection often accelerate these changes. Blepharoplasty is a cosmetic procedure to improve the appearance of the upper or lower eyelids. 

In very severe cases of upper eyelid droop, when a patient’s vision is affected, insurance may cover the cost of upper eyelid skin removal. To determine whether this is the best treatment option for you, please schedule a consultation with an oculoplastic surgeon. Additional vision tests may be needed. Lower eyelid blepharoplasty or lift is rarely, if at all, covered by medical insurance.

Upper eyelid ptosis refers to a condition where the entire upper eyelid droops, not just the skin. The goal of treatment for this condition is to raise the eyelid so it sits at the top of your iris. To determine your eligibility for this treatment, you can schedule a consultation with an oculoplastic surgeon. Additional vision tests may be needed.

At Scripps we prioritize your eye and skin health with specialized care. Our oculoplastic surgeons are highly trained to find and treat skin cancers such as basal cell, squamous cell, melanoma, merkel cell, and sebaceous cell cancers around the eyes. If you have a suspicious bump or growth, we can perform slow, gentle and careful biopsies keeping our patients comfortable throughout the procedure. Many patients drive themselves to and from these appointments.

Our oculoplastic surgeons are experts in repairing skin cancers that start in the eyelids, forehead, brows and cheeks or temples after they have been removed by our Mohs skin cancer specialists and/or dermatologists. Our providers work together providing seamless transition of care from cancer removal to skin repair. Patients can have their cancer removed early in the morning and have a second procedure to have it repaired later in the day.

The outward turning of the lower eyelid, also known as ectropion, can be caused by aging, sun exposure, radiation treatment, prior skin cancer and various other conditions. Inward turning of the lower eyelid, entropion, can be caused by aging, sleep apnea, prior lid or facial surgery and various other conditions. These two eyelid rotations can be easily treated with surgery.

Bell’s palsy, also known as facial palsy, is a condition where one side of your face suddenly becomes weak or paralyzed. This can make your mouth droop, your eye hard to close and your brow sag. While many patients see improvements in just a few weeks, some might take longer to recover.

If you can’t blink or close your eye, it might get dry and painful even if your use eye drops often. Our oculofacial surgeons are here to support you every step of the way and can perform simple in-office procedures to help protect your eye, making this challenging time easier.

For those with longer-lasting symptoms, additional surgeries can provide more permanent relief and protect your vision.

Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disorder affecting the thyroid gland. In rare cases patients with Graves’ disease may have more serious eye conditions such as vision loss, double vision, bulging eyes or open lids. At Scripps Clinic, we utilize a multi-disciplinary team approach offering comprehensive care to treat all aspects of Graves’ thyroid eye disease. Our oculoplastic surgeons can be the first point of contact for patients referred by our endocrinologists or primary care doctors. If additional expertise is needed, it is obtained from our neuro-ophthalmology and our pediatric ophthalmology teams. To help treat these conditions we offer full service medical therapy, including medications and surgical treatments.

Excessive tearing, also known as epiphora, can be due to a tear duct blockage. At Scripps, we offer thorough evaluations to locate the cause of the blockage and access the best treatment options for our patients. When simple treatments like eye drops aren't effective, our surgeons provide easy and minimally-invasive in-office procedures. In certain cases, more extensive surgery might be required. When appropriate, surgeons perform DCR surgery, a tear duct bypass procedure performed without a skin incision.