A Prospective Randomized Study of Lateral Brow-Eyelid Complex Volume after Internal Browpexy Using Three-Dimensional Stereophotogrammetry.

Abstract

Background: A full lateral brow-eyelid complex may help rejuvenate and feminize the face. Objectives: To compare periorbital volume change of patients as measured by three-dimensional (3D) stereophotogrammetry before and after blepharoplasty with or without internal browpexy sutures. Methods: This is a prospective randomized controlled study of 124 eyelids of 62 adult female patients who underwent cosmetic upper eyelid blepharoplasty by a single surgeon. Subjects were randomized to blepharoplasty alone (control) or blepharoplasty with an adjunctive "brassiere suture" internal browpexy (intervention). An observer masked to the intervention measured the brow-eyelid volume using standardized images obtained with a 3D camera, before and after surgery. The minimum follow-up was 6 months postoperatively. Results: Sixty eyelids (30 patients) were treated with upper blepharoplasty alone and 64 eyelids (32 patients) had blepharoplasty plus internal browpexy. The mean volume gain was 0.85 mL in the internal browpexy intervention group and 0.19 mL in the control group. The volume increased in all patients receiving browpexy and this change was greater than after blepharoplasty alone (p < 0.05). The mean follow-up time was 16.8 months (range 6-24 months). Conclusions: Adjunctive internal browpexy during blepharoplasty was associated with increased volume of the lateral brow-eyelid complex.