KC and eyelids

[Kirsten]

Hi everyone.

I've just been wondering if there's some kind of link between KC and droopy eyelids?

I never actually noticed I had them till the other day when someone asked if my keratoconus was the cause! There doesn't seem to be excess skin or fat.. more like my eye lids are just too large.

I've thought for ages the reason people tell me I look tired all the time is because of my red eyes, but now I think it's also to do with my eye lids.

This brings about my next question. Does anyone know if it's risky to have eyelid surgery when you have KC?

It's something i'm considering doing at some stage.

Thanks
Kirsten

[Andrew MacLean]

I just put my droopy eyelids down to gravity and time. There is a lot of gravity here and I have lived under its influence for nearly 57 years.

"I'm not tired, itis just that I started out before many of the rest of you"

Seriously, if you habitually rub your eyes, as do a lot of people with KC, one result may be tired looking eyelids. I use some eye gel to put on my eyelids and some artificial tears to reduce my temptation to rub.

someone gave some good advice in another string. Put a damp cloth over your closed eyes when you want to rub.

Andrew

[Lesley Foster]

Kirsten,

I have a droopy right eyelid and if I am really tired I have difficulty keeping the eye open. I have been told that it is possible to "tighten" it up but obviously care has to be taken because of the fit of a contact lens and its proximity to the eyelid. I have a mini scleral lens in that eye because a full size one is uncomfortable under the lid.

My father also suffers from a droopy eyelid, same side I think, as did his mother and as far as I am aware neither suffers/suffered from KC. My younger brother has KC but not a droopy eyelid, the only common link between him and me is we both had measles badly when we were very young, about 2 years old.

Is droopy eyelids yet another to add to the many possible causes of KC. The list seems to be many and varied.

Merry Christmas to you.

Lesley.

[Val G]

I too have the droopy eyelids syndrome. oh joy.I've put it down to what my lids have been through, dragging over ill fitting contacts for years, excessive rubbing, being turned inside out at exams, SQUINTING to see. I too would be interested to know how many of us are affected with this. I would consider surgery if it is OK after a graft, as it is not a good look! They says the camera never lies but photos I see of myself I usually have slits for eyes (maybe it,s the flash) I don't look that bad when I look in the mirror. I also feel that I cannot open my eyes any wider than they are normally, no matter how hard I try!

[Anne B]

I have droopy eye lids and deep set eyes, this made my recent surgery hard and the sugeon had to cut my eyelid!
I got a letter yesterday about the op and it says, it was complicated by a deep set eye and reduced accsess due to a small interpalpebral aperture. I carried out lateral canthotomy to improve access and the procedure was thereafter uneventful
Any one got any ideas to what that means

Anne

[John Smith]

Probably that he cut your eyelid

[Andrew MacLean]

palpebra is Latin for "eyelid" so the first part (the small interpalpebra aperture) means that your eyes don't open very wide. He performed a canthotomy (an incision in the corner of your eyes where the eyelids meet) to make the opening larger.

Why didn't he just say so? Well he would say he did.

Andrew