Effect of Upper Eyelid Surgeries on Corneal Characteristics

The position of the upper eyelid affects the health and function of the eye. Ptosis can obstruct the vision, and eyelid retraction can result in the loss of proper protection of the ocular surface. Through conventional upper eyelid correction surgery, the height of the upper eyelid can be adjusted to a proper position. However, after upper eyelid surgery, the pressure of the upper eyelid on the corneal surface may change, affecting corneal topography, higher-order corneal aberrations, corneal biomechanical characteristics, and corneal epithelial thickness. These changes may affect postoperative vision and visual quality. The impact of upper eyelid surgery on corneal refraction and corneal biomechanical characteristics remains inconclusive in current studies, and the impact on corneal epithelial thickness is even less investigated. This is a prospective observational study, expecting to enroll 50 patients who have undergone upper eyelid surgery, including 30 for ptosis correction and 20 for eyelid retraction correction. Non-invasive examinations will be used to assess changes in corneal topography, higher-order corneal aberrations, corneal biomechanical characteristics, and corneal epithelial thickness before and after the surgery to understand the impact of upper eyelid surgery on the ocular surface and the possible mechanism or influencing factors of postoperative vision changes.