Drooping eyelids

Well as long as the lower eyelid op did the job, that is what counts, but the upper will probably make a bigger difference, to his sight and looks too,and will feel better for it

blondenana Unfortunately having the lower lids lifted didn't seem to make a lot of difference to his appearance and as he wears specs you can't see anyway. He's opted to have the upper lids lifted in the autumn so I shall look forward to having a new young man for Christmas!

I thought mine was ptosis, but apparently it isn;t,the optician thought that too,
I have waited a year to get this far, but now it will be done sooner than i expected
Will your husband have it done, it will probably knock years off him too
You will think you have a new young man Suki

See my post of Feb 2018. After having his lower eyelids lifted a few years ago on the NHS because of running eyes, DH was told he would need them operated again as they would undoubtedly relax. At the time he said he wouldn't bother but when it was suggested again last autumn he had them redone, again NHS, local anaesthetic, Consultant Surgeon did one eye, trainee the other. The Consultant has now suggested he has upper eyelids lifted because of ptosis - eyelids drooping at the corners which would eventually impede his sight, although at the moment there's no problem. Each time there's only been a couple of months wait for the op and strangely the eye operated in by the trainee looked better than that done by the Consultant!

Had both eyes cataracts operated on a couple of years back, again through the wonderful NHS. About three months apart, local anaesthetic each time. Only thing is that up to that time I had never used glasses for reading, but as they gave me long distance lenses for driving, cannot read anything without my specs.

* Franbern* i can imagine what it was like being able to see properly again, mine is only one eye, and to be honest i thought it was my sight deteriorating until that Dr mentioned it
I had a cataract a few months after the bells palsy,i should have been going in for it the very day my Bells Palsy happened, but had to wait then it was amazing to be able to see clearly immediately after the op
I would say to anyone going in for a cataract op, not to be worried as it is entirely painless
I would have preferred this op to be under local, but the surgeon said general

Had this done on NHS about 11 years ago. At the time I heard from a friend who had it carried out privately and commented to one of my daughters that I would like it done (my top eye lids were very heavy and drooping down considerably.
That daughter said that if it really needed doing, then the NHS would do it, if it did not medically need carrying out - then forget it.
I went, firstly to my optician, and he wrote to my GP who made the referral to the local NHS eye hospital.
When I went for my appointment there, I was really anxious, expecting to be told off, but when I walked in to see the Consultant, he looked at me, and then said he did not even need to read the referral letter as to what I was there for.
The referral was made and within a few weeks the first eye was operated on (Local anaesthetic), home same day, with that eye covered just for 24 hours. Four weeks later, second eye was done.

I know this is an old thread, but i would just like to say,that this can be done on the NHS,
I was referred to my Dr to refer me for an eyelid lift as it was affecting my peripheral vision
I was referred last year and my Dr had to apply for funding
I was accepted, but only just recently was able to see the plastic surgeon at the hospital,
When i saw him he said it wasn;t my eyelid that was the problem, it was my brow that had dropped, due to me having Bells Palsy a few years ago, he said one eyebrow was lower than the other on that side, so is giving me a fixated brow lift, which means he will cut above the eyelid and underneath the brow, and somehow lift the brow on that side to match the other side
I will go in at 8am and be able to go home late morning
I have been told it will be done in July, so not even a long wait
I am very pleased because i will look even and be able to wear eye makeup again
I didnt ask for this, it was actually noticed by another consultant ,who i was seeing for another reason, who asked me what had happened to my eye, i said i would like to get it corrected but couldn;t afford it .,[believing it was my eyelid] he said don;t pay for it we can do it here
I was actually shocked to hear a Dr say that,

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It can be done on the NHS if it is affecting your vision,
I know someone who had it done
Also read recently on mumsnet someone had both upper eyelids done privately in Scotland where plastic surgery is much chaper for £1000

Dr Who? Sorry meant Dr, ,who

BlueBelle, I think you are being a little harsh.
I would no more ask the NHS for the eye op. that I would like because it is purely cosmetic.
Some people though, and some of them have posted on here, have impaired vision because of their drooping eyelids. How horrible that would be.
In my experience, and I have come across quite a few ladies that have had the op. If you have it done on theNHS you will probably get a less experienced Dr. Who won’t be as concerned with the’look’ more with restoring the patients ability to see.

Oh I have plenty of 0000s Monica ?
Must do something as I realize in going round with my eyebrows raised all the time. If I don't do that, I'm just looking at the bottom half of everything, if that makes sense!

This isn't cosmetic surgery, the drooping eyelid is affecting mrsmopp's sight. How does that differ from having a cataract operation? presumably it could affect her ability to drive or even safely cross roads.

Having said that I think this is one of those operations the NHS, is very unjustly trying to shed (like cataract operations). Getting it done privately should cost a couple of £000s

My DH had his lower eyelids lifted on the NHS. It was recommended by the consultant after he had been monitored and treated at the hospital for a couple of years for constantly running eyes. The consultant did one eye and a trainee did the other, with the consultant guiding her. There was a slight difference in the result. He was told the muscles would relax and eventually he would need them done again but he doesn't think he'll bother. He's now having his upper lids monitored as the droopy left one is affecting vision in the corner of his eye. There's talk of another lift, again on the NHS but on the consultant's recommendation not his request.

Mrsmopp I don’t agree with any of those things if you want to improve your body or have tattoos removed you pay for it If you have had an illness or a severe burn or mastectomy etc etc of course there is a valid reason to expect help and that’s great that we can offer these things on the NHS but I think the line should be drawn quite high up for treatments that are not about our health

It's called blapharitis I think. Mine was covered under insurance here in the states.

I had nearly constant headaches above my eyes and it was from using the muscles to keep my eyes open! My eye white were almost always pink because my eye lashes were literally rubbing my eye because of the drooping.

The Dr. I went to was called an ocular surgeon also if they are drooping you could be loosing some of your peripheral vision I had lost about 30% which is huge!

A wonderful thing about the surgery is you will look better after it too! And my eyes and my head no longer hurt which for me was the best part!

It really is medically necessary for some people so it should be a covered procedure. It cost about $6,000.00 and that was in 2008 here in the states. Mine was paid 100% good luck!!!

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The NHS will operate on droopy eyelids but only if your vision is impaired. The opthalmologist was having difficulty examining my eyes and told me I needed to have it done, you have to do a test on a machine. My consultant told me how to do the test so as to ‘pass’. Basically, you have too look down and not at the top of the screen. My experience was that the NHS didn’t do quite enough to my top lids. The procedure was done under local anaesthetic and sedation and yes, not by the consultant.

Well said, Jane10; I think that's the path to go down. Good advice. Thanks.

I was thinking of myasthenia gravis. A friend has this. His first symptom was droopy eyelids. That's why you should maybe see a GP not for referral for plastic surgery.

During an annual check up, my optician commented on my 'drooping eyelids' she referred me our local hospital and I was accepted. The op was done with local a anaesthetic. I didn't request the operation but am pleased with the result.

I have droopy eyelids but would not dream of asking for them to be done on the N.H.S.

Morgana It is not a cosmetic operation like having eye bags removed. It affects sight, the person cannot drive, read well etc.

just that drooping eyelids could be indicative of an underlying condition. Worth checking.
Oh heck!

I'd like mine done (think Paddy Ashdown)

If it impedes your vision then I think the NHS will do it. I do know someone who had it done privately and she looks so much fresher and more alert (and younger).