Supraperiosteal fat repositioning with midface lift in lower eyelid blepharoplasty: an 18-year experience.

PURPOSE: To assess the clinical outcomes of fat repositioning via supraperiosteal dissection with midface lift for correction of tear trough deformity in a large Asian patient population.

METHODS: Retrospectively review 1152 Asian patients who underwent fat repositioning to the supraperiosteal plane with a midface lift between 2005 and 2022. Surgical technique, postoperative course, and complications were recorded. At the 6-month postoperative follow-up, the degree of patient satisfaction was assessed.

RESULTS: A total of 2304 eyes from 1152 patients with an average follow-up of 10 months. These procedures were performed using a transforniceal approach in 185 patients (16%) or a transcutaneous skin excision approach in 967 patients (84%). Among the patients who underwent the transcutaneous technique, seven individuals (0.6%) experienced effective treatment of lower lid ectropion through lateral tarsal strip procedures. Nine patients (0.7%) required revision surgery to address the remaining lateral fat pad due to inadequate lateral orbital fat excision during the initial procedure. At the 6-month follow-up, most patients reported a high level of satisfaction, with 800 patients (78%) expressing extreme satisfaction and 196 patients (19.1%) reporting satisfaction with the improvement in their appearance. No one reported facial numbness, lower eyelid or cheek paralysis, newly developed diplopia or granuloma formation.

CONCLUSION: The procedure of fat repositioning involving supraperiosteal dissection and a midface lift, whether performed using a transforniceal approach or a transcutaneous skin excision approach, in lower eyelid blepharoplasty proves to be a secure and auspicious surgical technique for rectifying tear trough deformity and attaining a pleasing aesthetic outcome.