Hello, I am Dr. Nk Park, board-certified plastic surgeon and director of Noonopi Plastic Surgery Seoul.
As a plastic surgeon, there are many rewarding moments, but nothing brings me more happiness than resolving congenital deformities that cause severe discomfort in a patient's daily life.
Today’s story is about a 12-year-old girl who traveled all the way from Central Asia. She was born with severe unilateral congenital ptosis in her left eye, which prevented it from opening properly. Her father had been searching everywhere to fix his daughter's eyes before reaching out directly to Noonopi Plastic Surgery Korea.
Evaluating Possibility for Ptosis Surgery Across the Globe via "Video"
For a patient on the other side of the world... especially one with congenital ptosis, is it possible to predict the success of a surgery without an in-person examination?
Congenital ptosis is very different from ordinary sleepy eyes. Often, the eye-opening muscle (levator palpebrae superioris) has either not developed properly or has become fibrotic, significantly reducing its function.
"I want to do everything to treat this child."
That was my first thought when her parents contacted me. However, if they trusted me enough to travel all the way to Korea and the surgery wasn't successful, it would break their hearts.
Therefore, to make an accurate judgment, I made a specific request to her father:
"Please fix her face in place and take a video of her looking straight ahead, up, and down. The camera must be exactly at her eye level."
Honestly, it is hard to make medical judgments based solely on photos sent by patients. Angles and lighting can easily distort the real findings. Especially with eyes, capturing the wrong micro-second can lead to a misdiagnosis. That is why I always try to take objective before-and-after photos myself, despite my busy schedule.
I knew that taking objective photos for medical evaluation is difficult without training, so I was half-doubtful. But to my surprise...
The video and photos the father sent a few days later exceeded my expectations. I could feel his desperate wish for a doctor to carefully evaluate his daughter's eyes.
I truly believe we can achieve successful results. Please come to Korea.
The Journey to Fix Uneven Eyes
There was still a massive hurdle before the patient could lie on the operating table. Due to diplomatic policies, citizens of her country required a medical visa to enter Korea, and the process was quite strict.
Noonopi Plastic Surgery is not just a place that performs surgeries. So that the patient could focus entirely on her ptosis correction, I personally stepped in to provide the necessary medical documents to support their visa application.
Thanks to these efforts, the young girl and her family safely set foot on Korean soil.
Welcome to Symmetry
On the day of the surgery, I meticulously checked the girl's eye condition once again.
- Dominant Eye: Right
- Levator Function Test: Right 16mm, Left 10mm
Since she was so young and her right double eyelid was incredibly pretty, I wanted to operate only on the side with the sleepy eye. However, I thoroughly explained the possibility of operating on the right eye as well, just in case of Hering's Law.
Furthermore, to ensure accurate evaluation during the procedure, we planned to use only local anesthesia instead of twilight sedation. However, we prepared an IV line for propofol just in case, having her fast beforehand to prepare for any unexpected situations.
Cause 1: The Tissue Restricting the Eye Muscle
The surgery began, and thankfully, our brave young patient followed all instructions beautifully. During the procedure, I observed the Lower-Positioned Transverse Ligament (LPTL) restricting the movement of her levator muscle. I carefully released (dissected) this ligament and asked her to open her eyes.
Just by releasing this ligament, her eye size improved by 15%! To ease the 12-year-old's anxiety, I invited her parents into the operating room to show them her current state. Her father was overjoyed by the change after just 15 minutes of surgery. I smiled and told him:
"The actual ptosis correction hasn't even started yet."
Cause 2: Inborn Weakness of the Muscle Fibers
Healthy muscles usually have a reddish hue. However, the patient's eye-opening muscle showed significant fatty degeneration.
While there are many causes, we deduce that because the muscle hadn't been moving properly since birth, the muscle fibers had degenerated. Fortunately, the fundamental function of the muscle was still intact. Therefore, I performed a classic Levator Advancement to correct her ptosis.
The eye that had been half-closed for 12 years finally opened, perfectly matching the symmetry of the opposite side.
The surgery was a massive success. The scene of her mother and father looking proudly at their daughter's new eyes before leaving the OR will remain one of the most unforgettable moments of my medical career.
Never Give Up on Congenital Ptosis
Congenital ptosis is an incredibly challenging surgery. Because of this, many people give up, believing they must live with uneven eyes forever.
However, with an accurate diagnosis and delicate ptosis correction techniques, significant improvement is entirely possible—whether you are an adult who has suffered for years or a young child like the girl in today's story. If you are misunderstood as having "sleepy eyes" or suffer from obstructed vision due to droopy eyelids, do not struggle alone.
Noonopi Plastic Surgery, sought after by patients from the other side of the globe, is here to brighten your vision.
💡 Dr. Park’s Closing Thought
"Everyone has facial asymmetry. But if it becomes a shadow on your heart, medical science can help erase it."
From a 1mm difference to congenital conditions, Noonopi Plastic Surgery the eyelid specialist in Korea will matches your eye level with uncompromising delicacy.
🔗 Check Out Other Cases in This Series!
- [Case 1] [Fixing Slightly Uneven Eyes: Is Ptosis Surgery Worth It?]
- [Case 2] [Male eyelid asymmetry: Why I took a patient back to the OR on the same day]
- [Case 3] [Dramatic Transformation: Severe Sleepy Eyes Where Less Than Half the Pupil Was Visible]
💡 Ask Dr. Park
"Is my ptosis severe?" If you are worried about droopy eyelids or asymmetry, please send me a photo via WhatsApp or KakaoTalk. I will personally check it and give you an honest answer.
