Ptosis (Drooping Eyelid)

Ptosis (Drooping Eyelid)

  • Overview
  • Appointments
  • Symptoms
  • Treatment
  • Locations
  • Doctors

    • What is ptosis?

    Ptosis, or droopy upper eyelids or eyebrows, is caused by weakness of the muscle responsible for raising the eyelid, damage to the nerves that control those muscles, or looseness of the skin of the upper eyelids. It appears at birth (congenital) or develops with age.

    Appointment Information

    For more information or to make an appointment, call 734-764-5106.

    What are the symptoms of ptosis?
    • Droopy upper eyelids or eyebrows
    • Decreased superior visual field or need to lift the eyelids or eyebrows to see better
    • A child with congenital ptosis may tilt his/her head backward in order to see better

    How is ptosis treated?

    When the droopy upper eyelid causes complaints of decreased superior visual field, the suggested treatment is surgery. For children, surgery is commonly recommended in the preschool years to make it easier for children to see and to improve appearance. The type of surgery varies, depending upon how much the eyelids droop.

    Locations
    • Oculoplastic Surgery Clinic | Kellogg Eye Center 1000 Wall St
      Elevator B Floor 3
      Ann Arbor, MI 48105-1912       Get Directions
    • Ophthalmology Clinic | Canton Health Center 1051 N Canton Center Rd
      Canton, MI 48187-5097       Get Directions

    Doctors

     Search for a U-M Health doctor     Hakan Demirci, MD

    Hakan Demirci, MD

    Professor

    Ophthalmology

    Elaine Downie, MD

    Elaine Downie, MD

    Clinical Assistant Professor

    Ophthalmology, Oculoplastics Ophthalmology

    Victor Maurice Elner, MD, PhD

    Professor

    Ophthalmology, Anatomic Pathology

    Denise Sujin Kim, MD

    Denise Sujin Kim, MD

    Clinical Assistant Professor

    Ophthalmology

    Christine Carol Nelson, MD

    Christine Carol Nelson, MD, FACS

    Professor

    Ophthalmology

    Brittany A Simmons, MD

    Brittany A Simmons, MD

    Clinical Assistant Professor

    Ophthalmology

    News & Stories
    fish dinner Mediterranean food on table
    Health Lab

    Mediterranean diet can slow progression of age-related macular degeneration

    Fish, vegetables and whole grains in the Mediterranean diet can help reduce progression of age-related macular degeneration and support long term eye health.
         woman with dog smiling
    Health Lab

    Patient with retinitis pigmentosa receives new hope at Kellogg’s low vision clinic

    Retinitis pigmentosa can lead to vision loss, but DNA testing, inherited retinal disease research and AI glasses offer new hope.
         mom smiling with two kids
    Health Lab

    Rare genetic eye disease treated with gene therapy helps 2 children see again

    Mia and Niko Spicer were diagnosed with Leber’s congenital amaurosis type 2, a rare genetic eye disease, and were treated with the gene therapy Luxturna to improve their vision.
         Close up of a hazel green eye
    Health Lab

    A new clue for aging eyes

    Struggling to read more than six lines on an eye chart with fading letters may serve as a visual “yellow light” for older adults—raising red flags that routine exams sometimes fail to detect.
         Susan Lane, wearing glasses and a dress with blue, red, black, and purple brushstroke designs, stands next to Alan Sugar, who is wearing glasses and a grey blazer with a blue tie. They are standing in a shaded courtyard area with shrubs and a brick wall behind them.
    Philanthropy News

    Susan J. Lane: Gratitude and Giving

    Susan Lane has made a transformational gift to the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Michigan Medicine to support corneal research and patient education.
         eye drawing yellow dots
    Health Lab

    Cell death in photoreceptor cells is reversible, study finds

    A team of researchers from the University of Michigan found functional mitochondria are key to the recovery of dying photoreceptor cells.