Objective To explore the effect of problem-oriented targeted nursing on the correction effect and health behavior of patients undergoing ptosis correction surgery. Methods A total of 94 patients who underwent ptosis correction surgery in our hospital from May 2023 to February 2025 were selected, and they were divided into the control group (received conventional nursing) and the observation group (received problem-oriented targeted nursing) by the random number table method, with 47 patients in each group. The correction effect, health behavior, postoperative recovery, complications and cosmetic satisfaction were compared between the two groups. Results The correction effect of the observation group was better than that of the control group, the score of Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile Ⅱ (HPLP-Ⅱ) after nursing was higher than that of the control group, and the postoperative recovery time was shorter than that of the control group. The incidence of complications (4.26%) in the observation group was lower than that in the control group (17.02%), and the cosmetic satisfaction was better than that in the control group (P <0.05). Conclusion For patients undergoing ptosis correction surgery, problem-oriented targeted nursing can promote the formation of healthy behaviors, improve the correction effect, shorten the postoperative recovery time, reduce the incidence of complications, and achieve good cosmetic satisfaction.