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What Is Lagophthalmos?
Lagophthalmos is the inability to close, or poor closure,
of the upper eyelid. Lagophthalmos is a form of facial paralysis
affecting the orbicularis muscle in the eyelid.
What Are The Causes Of Lagophthalmos?
The inability to provide function to the eyelid is typically
secondary to a previous or ongoing condition, surgery, or
event. This paralysis is usually isolated to just one side
of the face. Lagophthalmos and facial paralysis are typically
diagnosed due to:
- Bell's Palsy
- Trauma
- Neurosurgery
- Bacterial infection
- Cerebral vascular accidents (strokes)
How Can This Condition Affect The Health
Of My Eye?
Your eyelids play a crucial role in protecting and providing
nourishment to your eyes. When blinking or eyelid closure
function is lost, the health of your eyes can be at risk.
Many experts have noted several complications associated with
lagophthalmos:
- Severe dry eye and discomfort
- Corneal ulceration (damage to the cornea-the clear tissue
covering the front of your eye)
- Decrease or loss of vision
- Unsatisfactory appearance
How Can Lagophthalmos Be Treated?
It all begins with your diagnosis of your condition by your
ophthalmologist. Typically, if your paralysis is expected
to last less than six months, your doctor will recommend the
use of drops and ointments throughout the day to help maintain
a well-nourished eye.
If your paralysis is deemed permanent or persists without
improvement, your surgeon may want to perform surgery to control
the paralysis and provide a more natural function to your
eyelid. The most common surgical procedure involves the placement
of a small, pure-gold eyelid weight into your eyelid. This
procedure very simple and is typically performed under local
anesthesia in an outpatient setting.
 How
Does The Gold Eyelid Weight Work?
It's very simple. The appropriate implant 'weight' will be
selected your physician. When implanted into your lid margin,
the weight will essentially allow earth's gravity to gently
pull your eye closed when your muscles relax. However, this
will not affect your ability to open your eye…. when
you tense the muscle, your eyelid will open normally.
Is Gold A Safe Material?
Each weight is made from 99.99% gold (pure gold). Pure gold
is an excellent material because it is biologically stable
and inert. Because the gold will never break down, your surgeon
can always remove it if deemed necessary. Gold has been used
for decades for the treatment of lagophthalmos and is recognized
by experts as an extremely safe and effective device material.
If you have a known sensitivity or allergy to gold, notify
your physician before surgery.
What Happens During Surgery? How Is The Gold
Weight Implanted?
Gold eyelid weight surgery is usually performed under local
anesthesia in an outpatient setting. Previous to the day of
the surgery, your physician will have selected the appropriate
gold weight size for your specific needs.
During the procedure, your physician will first make a small
incision in your eyelid, just above your eyelashes. This incision
will allow your physician to create a small pocket inside
your lid for the gold implant to rest. The weight will be
secured to your lid with sutures. Each weight contains small
channels or grooves to house the sutures below the surface
of the implant. The incision is closed with sutures. A protective
pad will be applied to cover your eyelid.
What Happens After Surgery? What Should I
Expect Regarding The Function And Appearance Of My Eyelid?
As always, your condition and progress will be closely monitored
by your physician. Following the removal of your eye protection,
you should be able to experience normal blinking and eyelid
closure function.
Like any surgery, the incision will take time to heal. If
you experience significant discomfort or swelling around the
incision, contact your physician immediately.
Any questions or concerns you have about your surgery can
best be answered by your surgeon. You can best insure the
best outcome for your procedure by carefully following your
surgeon's instructions.
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