Blepharoplasty with laser skin tightening avoids visible incision.
Traditional scalpel blepharoplasty of the lower eyelid involves cutting away skin to remove excess baggy skin from the eyelid.
A newer technique using a laser incision on the inside of the lower eyelid allows the surgeon to shrink or tighten the lower eyelid tissues from the inside, avoiding the need for a visible incision on the outside of the eyelid. No eyelid tissue or skin is cut away.
This technique preserves the integrity of the lower eyelid skin and muscle, preserves the support of the lower eyelid and prevents the “sad eyed” or hound dog appearance of the lower eyelid which can occur after traditional incisional eyelid blepharoplasty surgery in which the skin is cut and removed.
This technique is called a transconjunctival laser lower eyelid blepharoplasty with muscle/septum tightening. This procedure also accomplishes skin tightening of the lower eyelid. Following the blepharoplasty if excess skin and or wrinkles or crow’s feet are still noticeable the laser can be used to resurface the lower eyelid skin and create fresh new lower eyelid skin. To prevent recurrence of the wrinkles and crow’s feet Botox® injections can be used after surgery.
In an article published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery a study of 196 laser blepharoplasties using the laser blepharoplasty with laser muscle/septum tightening showed excellent cosmetic results with no occurrence of eyelid malposition or sad eyed look. (Laser blepharoplasty with transconjunctival orbicularis muscle/septum tightening and periocular skin resurfacing: a safe and advantageous technique. Seckel, et al. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2000; 106(5): 1127-41)
The newer laser blepharoplasty technique for the lower eyelid, which avoids an external incision and removal of eyelid skin, is an advance that produces an excellent cosmetic result and avoids malposition of the lower eyelid.
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