Mechanical Ptosis by Medial Upper Eyelid Fat Prolapse

Abstract

Common symptoms of medial fat pad prolapse may include a noticeable bulge in the inner corner of the upper eyelid, puffiness, and a tired or aged appearance. In some cases, this condition may contribute to mechanical ptosis. However, mechanical ptosis caused by medial upper eyelid fat prolapse has not been reported previously. The purpose of the current study is to report the author’s experience of successful treatment of ptosis caused by medial upper eyelid fat prolapse in a 67-year-old woman. The patient complained of slowly aggravating asymmetric upper eyelids starting from 5 years ago. At the time of her visit, she had to use her left forehead to open her eyes, making her left eyebrow upwardly positioned. This condition might be related to medial upper eyelid fat prolapse-related mechanical ptosis. The author explored her left upper eyelid with a 9 mm height incision. The author found a substantial amount of medial fat herniation and levator aponeurosis tear. After fat pad removal, the author fixed the levator aponeurosis tear with nylon 6-0, and transdermal sutures were done. The patient was happy with esthetically pleasing results 2 months after the initial surgery. The author successfully treated this rare condition with basic principles, such as fat removal, levator aponeurosis repair, and transdermal sutures.