Eyelid Lift As A Medical Issue

Vision problems typically increase with age and sometimes the problem is on the outside. The eyelids and brow begins to sag as gravity sets in impairing vision. Many people have turned to cosmetic surgery, not covered by insurance. In a special report, KSBI-TV has discovered a growing number of patients are having insurance cover the procedure to repair drooping eyelids.


Judy Kenaga's sight is spectacular these days, but before surgery it was heavily impaired. Kenaga never noticed she couldn't see.


"I guess like everything else with age, you don't realize. It's so gradual, you don't realize that it's happening," says Kenaga.


Dr. Scott Sigler says Kenaga had a prominent frown line when she went to Sigler & Scott Eye Associates. The brows were below the brow line and her eyelids were sagging, blocking vision.


Sigler says this happens over time as gravity sets in. He says patients used to think of it solely as a cosmetic issue.


"People that noticed their eyelids drooping or noticed their brow drooping would go to a surgeon and pay money to have that corrected thinking it was cosmetic. But it becomes a functional surgery, not a cosmetic surgery, if their visual field is affected and so more people are aware of that," explains Sigler.


Kenaga was a perfect candidate for the surgery as a medical procedure.


She underwent a brow lift and a blepharoplasty, or eyelid lift, both covered by insurance.


Sigler makes two incisions in the hairline to lift the brow. He removes excess skin and fatty tissue from the eyelids through incisions on the natural crease.


Kenaga says it made a world of difference just one week after surgery.


"It's a brighter world now, I can see more of it and it's brighter!" says Kenaga.


The visual field test helps determine if it's a medical issue. You look into a device and hit a button when a light comes into view.


Sigler says, "Then we tape up their eyelid out of the way and redo the test to see how much they've improved."


Sigler showed KSBI-TV Kenaga's test.


"Normally she's missing out on a lot of the world, she's only seeing to the 25 degree mark. Once we taped the lid out of place, she could see up almost to the 50 degree mark," explains Sigler.


Medicare and many insurances will cover the surgery if vision is below the 30 degree mark and improves to the 40-50 degree mark. Sigler says the procedure as a medical issue is gaining popularity.


"You've got all the baby-boomers getting older and they don't want to be older, they want to be young again and they want to be able to see good. They're very interested in being competitive in their workplace, so they're interested in the surgery," says Sigler.


Kenaga now looks years younger, but she says that was an added bonus.


"That was just a side effect, looking better. The main thing was to see better," says Kenaga.


Sigler tells us more men in their 40's and 50's are having this procedure within the last two years. He suspects it's because they want to remain competitive in their job fields.


Check with your doctor to see if you may be a candidate for the procedure.

source:www.ksbitv.com