4) Surgery
3) Resistant Exercise
If the CPEO is very severe, the patient may have surgery done to lift their eyelids. This is done by tightening the levator muscle, whose job is to raise the eyelids. To do this, surgeons will make an incision in the upper eyelid crease then, the levator muscle will be identified, tightened then reattached to the tarsal plate (the structure that supports the upper lid). Some of the risks after surgery include; infections, bruising, asymmetrical eyelids and, stiffness of the eyelids. If surgery is the way the patient has to go, in the united states, the average cost of this surgery is $4354. However, in Canada, this surgery is covered by OHIP.
Resistance exercise may help prevent and improve muscle weakness, fatigue and overall quality of life. Resistance exercises may be done at home for free or with the help of a personal trainer. A personal trainer can cost anywhere between $15-$100 per hour, however the average is $50 per hour.
Figure 2. Kempeneers, E. (2006, January 30). Muscles of the Eye [Digital image]. Retrieved January 4, 2018, from https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Eyemuscles.png
Levator muscles (figure 2) are found in the eye socket with the main purpose of elevating the upper eye lid