Report: Boston mayor Thomas Menino undergoes surgery on drooping eyelids
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino (center) prepares to throw out the first pitch during 100 Years of Fenway Park on April 20, 2012 in Boston, Massachusetts.
/ Photo by Jim Rogash/GettyPICTURES: Top 10 most popular cosmetic procedures in U.S.
The Boston Globe reports that Menino, 69, underwent the hour-long outpatient procedure on Wednesday at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). It was performed by Dr. Mami A. Iwamoto, a specialist in cosmetic and reconstructive eye plastic surgery at the hospital.
Drooping eyelids, or ptosis, occurs when the muscles that control for raising the eyelid are weakened because of nerve damage or loosening of the upper eyelids' skin, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The condition may be caused by the normal aging process, a congenital birth abnormality or the result of injuries or diseases like diabetes, stroke, brain tumors or cancers that affect nerves or muscles.
CBS Boston reported on Wednesday that they mayor's eyelids have drooped over time, obscuring his vision over the past decade.
The surgery to raise the eyelid is called a blepharoplasty. MGH doctors said the procedure is common and involves repairing the tendons that control upper eyelids.
Risks of a blepharoplasty include numbness of the eyelid skin, dry or irritated eyes, temporary double vision, scarring, injury to the eyelid muscles and in rare cases bleeding behind the eye, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The NIH says surgery is usually very successful at restoring appearance and function of the eyelids.
The mayor cancelled his public appearances and will work from home over the next week.
Popular in Health
- A test for throat cancer caused by HPV?
- Scientists grow new organs on scaffolding 12 Photos
- Facebook organ donor status option upped number of donors
- Skin cancer self-exam: What to look for (PHOTOS)
- Deep vein thrombosis: Don't ignore these silent symptoms
- Eating red meat may boost Type 2 diabetes risk
- Japanese "eyeball licking" trend carries blindness risk
- Air pollution exposure while pregnant linked to autism risk
4 Comments Add a Comment
- linkicon reporticon emailicon
- OMG and the taxpayers are paying for this!
- reply
- linkicon reporticon emailicon
- I wonder how many other people out there were like me and never got past the headline, or is it as CBS News assumes, that the vast majority of their online viewers are idiots.
- reply
-
- linkicon reporticon emailicon
- What's your problem?
- linkicon reporticon emailicon
- You know what else is good for that? Rub a Chick Fil A spicy chicken sandwich in your eyes Mayor, that'll open up those fat droopy eylids of yours and help you stay awake during city council meetings.
- reply
