Eyelid Surgery

Blepharoplasty is a surgical procedure to repair sagging or drooping eyelids. As we age, the skin surrounding our eyes becomes more loose and the eyelids may appear to sag. The drooping lids can block our vision if they fall in the way of the visual axis. In blepharoplasty surgery, excess skin, muscle, or fat can be removed to restore the natural position of the lids. Removal of the excess tissue tightens the upper lid, improving vision and cosmetic appearance.

Entropion is an inward turning of the eyelid. The primary complication of entropion is damage to the cornea and increased risk of developing a corneal infection due to inward facing eyelashes. Entropion can be very uncomfortable due to the sensitive nature of our corneal surface. Repeated insult to the cornea by inwardly turned lashes can weaken the protective cell layer on the corneal surface and reduce our ability to prevent infection. Eyelid surgery is necessary to correct entropion that is causing the patient discomfort and/or causing persistent damage to the cornea.

Ectropion is an outward turning of the eyelid. It can occur as we age, or may result from scarring of the eyelid, disrupted nerve signals to the muscles of the eyelid, or changes in the surrounding ocular tissues. Often ectropion can lead to, or worsen symptoms of dry eye. If the symptoms associated with dry eye become severe enough, a surgery can be performed to correct the eyelid abnormality and restore the eyelid to a normal position.

A chalazion is a nodule in the eyelid that sometimes persists following resolution of a hordeolum or “stye.” Chalazion and hordeolum are the result of inefficient oil glands in the eyelids. These glands produce the oil layer of our natural tear film. When these glands become dysfunctional, oil can back up and cause the glands to swell and become infected and painful. This is what we call a hordeolum or “stye.” Treatment often includes warm compresses and massaging of the lids to break up the oil in the clogged glands and improve the flow. In some cases the hordeolum will shrink and the tenderness will subside leaving a small nodule in the gland. This nodule is not an infection or tumor, however, the nodule may continue to grow in size to the point that it may require surgical removal.

Our physicians at Volusia eye are trained to recognize abnormal lesions of the eye or surrounding skin. Should you be diagnosed with an abnormal ocular surface or skin lesion, a biopsy of that lesion may be necessary to determine if there are any cancerous cells present. This procedure is done in office and in many cases, the majority of the lesion will be removed during the biopsy and sent to a pathology lab to analyzed. In the unfortunate event that the lesion is found to be cancerous, Dr. Routh is able to perform a complete excision of the lesion utilizing a real-time biopsy technique to ensure complete removal of all cancerous cells. This procedure requires a trip to the hospital where Dr. Routh will perform a brief surgery while the pathology department analyzes the tissue being removed. This gives him the ability to remove all of the cancerous cells while removing the least amount of tissue possible.