Dr. John Burroughs practices cosmetic and reconstructive eyelid and facial plastic surgery in Colorado Springs. Some patients are referred to him because of damage to the facial 7th nerve portion that serves the eyelids. When it has been damaged from cancer, surgery, trauma etc. it causes the eyelids to not be able to close properly (lagophthalmos). If the branches that serve the lower face are also involved this can cause the weight of the facial tissues to pull on the lower eyelid and retract it down and outward causing eye redness and discomfort.
This gentleman had a massive cancer resection on the side of his face resulting in facial nerve weakness and an inability to close his eye properly. He had a gold weight placed in his upper eyelid to help it close better (bottom picture) by adding weight to the eyelid. This has improved his eye comfort, vision, and health. He has been very pleased with the surgery by Dr. Burroughs. Other methods have included placing an eyelid spring, but Dr. Burroughs has encountered problems with the springs breaking or not working properly and he has had to remove damaged springs from patients that had them placed by other surgeons, so he doesn’t advise them.
