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Time and gravity can take their toll on nearly everything – including our eyelids. As we age, upper eyelids can begin to sag and droop. Lower lids can develop puffy bags that diminish field of vision.
Sometimes lower lids can turn outward, making eyes look red and irritated and exposing them to dryness and infection, or turn inward, causing lower lashes to rub against eyes, causing constant discomfort.
We might be inclined to assume nothing can be done, apart from seeing a plastic surgeon and having some complicated procedure that ends up making us look, well, “worked on.” Happily, that’s not the case. Board-certified Comprehensive Ophthalmologist Shelby Terpstra, D.O. of Lake Eye Associates routinely performs a range of eyelid procedures, all of them quick, safe, outpatient services with very little downtime, resulting in restoration of eyelids to a more normal, healthy state.
“Many patients come see me because sagging lids have reduced or eliminated their peripheral vision, which may be not only side vision, but also what you see below and above you,” says Dr. Terpstra. “This can create more than inconvenience, it can create a hazard, as people trip over or bump
into things in front of them, or find they can’t drive safely.” For patients whose vision and/or appearance is impaired by sagging, puffy upper lids or baggy lower lids, Dr. Terpstra performs a surgery called blepharoplasty, in which excess skin and fat are gently removed from the upper and/or lower eyelids, restoring openness to the eye and widening the field of vision. For people whose vision is impacted by eyelid disorders, the surgery is often covered by insurance. “Eyelid problems can make people look tired, aged and overly serious. Once eyelid problems are corrected, patients are pleasantly surprised to find they not only see better and feel more comfortable, they also look more refreshed, alert and happy,” says Dr. Terpstra, “more like their normal selves.”
The soft, natural-looking results and quick recovery experienced by Dr. Terpstra’s patients have inspired others to see Dr. Terpstra for the cosmetic advantages of the procedure. “Some people elect to have it done even though their vision isn’t yet compromised, because they want to look as youthful and optimistic as they feel, and they want a natural, restorative look, like they’ve been on a relaxing vacation, and not had ‘work’ done,”
says Dr. Terpstra. “That’s what blepharoplasty can provide.” Those patients pay for the
procedure themselves, but consider it worth the rejuvenation and renewed confidence
it provides.
If your peripheral vision is impaired by sagging upper lids, puffy lower lids or your lids
have turned inward or outward, causing discomfort, it might be time to make an appointment for a consultation with a local leader in eyelid surgery, Shelby Terpstra, D.O., of Lake Eye Associates. Lake Eye has four convenient locations and a friendly, helpful staff ready to serve you.
