*Posted with patient permission. Top photo is before Upneeq. Bottom photo is 10 minutes after.
Is there an eye drop for droopy eyelids?
Until recently, the only way to fix droopy eyelids was surgery. In order to qualify for medical insurance to cover the surgery, you have to fail a visual field test and the eyelid has to be drooping to a certain extent over the pupil. This was very frustrating to patients.
Many patients opted to pay out of pocket for eyelid surgery because they didn’t like the way their eyes looked or they felt like there was significant improvement in vision when they pulled their lids back.
We saw a patient today (a 61 year old female) and she has worn corneal gas permeable lenses for over 40 years. Sometimes patients who wear corneal GP lenses can develop a droopy eyelid (called a ptosis). This may be from the way that the lenses are removed. When corneal GP lenses are removed, often times patients use their upper and lower eyelids to pop the lens out of the eye. Over time, this is damage the muscle that’s responsible for lifting the upper eyelid.
For fun, we inserted an eye drop of Upneeq into both eyes and took a before and after photo. The after photo is about 10 minutes after inserting the drop. We showed the patient the difference and she was thrilled! She will use Upneeq every morning before she puts her contact lenses in. The eye drop will lift her upper eyelid and help with the droopy lid appearance.
The results will last 8-12 hours, so she will need a drop every day that she wishes to see an improvement in the droopy lid. Upneeq is not available over-the-counter, it must be prescribed by a doctor. The doctor will send your information into the pharmacy and they will contact you directly if you wish to order.
This is a great innovative eye drop to help patients who may want a surgery alternative to eyelid surgery.
FD: I have no financial interest in this product or company
