Septal Approach on Upper Blepharoplasty in Elderly Person

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Blepharoplasty plays a vital role in facial rejuvenation. Aging eyelids are the result of relaxation of lid structures as the skin, the orbicularis muscle, and mainly the septum, with subsequent protrusion or pseudoherniation of intraorbital fat contents. Traditional blepharoplasty has often involved the excision of excessive lax skin and muscle and removal of fat, leaving the eyelid unnatural and even causing the brow ptosis. The authors propose the septal approach through which the amount of skin excision can be decreased and solid fixation can be achieved in the upper blepharoplasty. METHODS: From November 2007 to February 2010, total of 15 patients underwent upper blepharoplasty with septal approach. In 9 patients, orbital septum anchored into the orbital periosteum only. But in 6 patients, the attenuated septum was strengthened through shortening and fixing into orbital periosteum with non-absorbable suture. RESULTS: Pleasing results were obtained from most of the patients. But one patient who had septum anchoring procedure complained of slight undercorrection, therefore secondary operation with septum shortening procedure was followed. CONCLUSION: We found that the method using orbital septum fixation into orbital periosteum has several advantages less amount of skin excision, less recurrence rate, and more natural appearance. And the results were reliable and satisfactory.