Levator Pull-Out Suture Technique for Immediate Postoperative Correction of Eyelid Asymmetry After Ptosis Surgery in Asians

Abstract

Background: Postoperative eyelid asymmetry is the most common complaint of patients after undergoing blepharoplasty and ptosis correction surgery. Calibrating eyelid asymmetry during ptosis correction surgery is still difficult for surgeons despite the development of innovative procedures. Our levator pull-out suture technique for correcting postoperative eyelid asymmetry after ptosis surgery is introduced.

Methods: A total of 330 patients who underwent ptosis correction surgery with upper blepharoplasty from 2016 to 2017 were enrolled in our study. All surgeries were performed using the levator pull-out suture technique, and the postoperative eyelid asymmetry was corrected in the outpatient clinic at 2-3 days after the operation. Patient satisfaction was evaluated preoperatively and at 1 week and 2 months postoperatively using a questionnaire. Visual acuity, marginal reflex distance 1 (MRD1), and vertical palpebral fissure length asymmetry were measured preoperatively and compared to values taken postoperatively.

Results: Patient satisfaction regarding asymmetry increased from 2.7/5 (preoperatively) to 4.1/5 points (postoperatively). MRD1 and vertical palpebral fissure length increased from 1.1/1.2 and 6.8/6.8 mm (preoperatively), respectively, to 2.8/2.9 and 8.5/8.6 mm (postoperatively), respectively. The asymmetry of MRD1 and vertical palpebral fissure length before and after surgery were corrected from 0.45/1.81 to 0.01/0.19 mm (p < 0.01).

Conclusion: Our innovative surgical method of using the levator pull-out suture technique is relatively simple and allows for finer suture adjustments postoperatively to effectively correct eyelid asymmetry, with satisfactory results.

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Keywords: Asymmetry; Blepharoplasty; Levator aponeurosis; Ptosis; Upper eyelid.