Ptosis

We are currently working on projects dealing with ptosis surgery in children to develop skin closures that have very little or no scar formation. (Ptosis is a condition in which the patient has very little ability to raise the upper eyelid). We are using different materials to perform the ptosis surgery trying to find the one that has the least complications and side effects. The children in the ptosis study will be children with severe ptosis and will be entered in this study of operating on the superior oblique tendon.

The Ptosis project is in its first year; using this new technique we have operated on 10 children thus far. We have received recognition from the medical community, and will be presenting our ptosis results at the National Meeting of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus this April in Seattle, Washington.

Strabismus

We are also studying children with superior oblique muscle overaction associated with horizontal strabismus as well as superior oblique muscle overaction secondary to inferior oblique muscle palsy. Our goal is to perform surgery without inducing cyclotorsional symptoms, which occur when doing a standard tenotomy of the superior oblique. Cyclotorsional symptoms are the appearance of images being tilted. This project will help our patients have a better outcome from their surgery and suffer less morbidity from the procedure.

The superior oblique study is now into its 5th year; we have operated on 200 patients with overacting superior oblique muscles.