Background: Muscle suspension blepharoplasty remains a reliable method to tighten the loose skin and muscle of the lower eyelid.
Objective: To evaluate the 30-year experience of the senior author (N.J.P.) with the skin-muscle suspension technique for lower-lid blepharoplasty.
Patients and methods: Of 4395 patients who underwent lower-lid blepharoplasty, 3988 had muscle suspension blepahroplasty performed with adequate follow-up.
Results: Results of the 30-year review showed that most patients were very satisfied with the procedure. There were 67 complications (2 hematomas, 1 poor scar, 24 cases of scleral show <1 mm, and 40 cases of chemosis). Chemosis resolved in 2 to 8 weeks, and there were no cases of ectropion, scleral show greater than 1 mm, dry eye, or vision loss. Revision surgery was needed in 41 patients, all of whom were satisfied after the secondary procedure.
Conclusion: Despite the recent drift toward orbital fat preservation for lower-lid blepharoplasty, conventional lower-lid muscle suspension offers the surgeon a reliable method to tighten the loose skin and muscle of the lower eyelid and give the patient a more attractive, youthful appearance.