• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.271-276
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose is to present an useful and simple surgical method to improve the aging of upper third face in patients with high frontal hairline as well as low frontal hairline. Methods: Forty eight female patients were treated with subcutaneous forehead lift using an anterior hairline incision over 14 years. This surgical technique is performed under direct vision utilizing a beveled incision made 4 to 5 mm into the anterior hairline with subcutaneous dissection, which is continued near to eyebrow, sometimes extended to supraorbital rim to remove corrugator and procerus muscles. In patients with high frontal hairline, excess forehead skin anterior to incision line is removed. On the contrary in the patients with low frontal hairline, scalp posterior to incision line is removed. Results: This technique provided constant and good results with the forty six patients, who were satisfied with eyebrow elevation and removal of wrinkles in forehead and glabellar region. However two patients were undercorrected, and focal alopecia developed in another two patients. One patient complained of pruritus over one year, but subsided spontaneously without any treatment. Temporary paresthesia developed in the forehead and frontal scalp of all cases after operation but permanent sensory loss never occurred in all the patients. Conclusion: Subcutaneous forehead lift using an anterior hairline incision is suggested to be one of the effective surgical methods to improve the aging of upper third face in the patients with high frontal hairline as well as low frontal hairline.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.477-484
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• 2011

Purpose: Retro-orbicularis oculi fat (ROOF) and preseptal fat pad (PSF) are deep fat structures of frontal and supraorbital area, that encounter galeal fat pad (GFP). If galeal wall is weakened by aging process, GFP loses its anchoring structure, moved downward pushing ROOF and PSF. This especially occur in lateral brow area. As a result of drooping, eyebrow affects the eyelid covering PSF as a sac descended to a lateral hooding and ptotic eyelid simultaneously. Consequently, in the case of lateral hooding and brow ptosis, besides the skin, deep fat structures (ROOF and PSF) should be corrected as well. Methods: ROOF-PSF repositioning technique in subbrow resection were performed. 21 cases of patients from April, 2007 to January, 2008. Before surgery, all patients were examined carefully to evaluate the degrees of dermatochalasia, drooping of the eyebrow, marginal reflex distance 1 (MRD1), eyelid crease height. Surgery was performed under local anesthesia, then excised the drooped eyelid skin by lateral subbrow resection, removed proper amount of ROOF, repositioned ROOF-PSF at the supraorbital rim, and fix it on periosteum. During follow up periods, the patients were surveyed of the satisfaction of surgery, and postoperative MRD1 was evaluated. Results: One patient had a hematoma on left eyebrow, and another one patient had a numbness on left forehead for two months. Except for these two patients, all patients had good results without any significant complications. The mean follow up period was about 5 months, and the position of lateral eyebrow maintained above the supraorbital rim in all cases. Postoperatively, MRD1 increased by 0.8 mm in 5-months mean follow up period. Conclusion: In patient with lateral brow ptosis and lateral hooding, the ROOF-PSF repositioning technique in sub-brow resection could be a good operative option.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.449-453
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• 2006

Purpose: Perceiving the experience that $MRD_1$ is increased after small-incision double-eyelid operation, it has been statistically verified the improvement of $MRD_1$ retrospectively. Therefore, we suggest new interpretation for Korean-specific small eye and more definite classification for ptosis. Methods: In operation, we made 3 small incisions according to the line designed on upper eyelid and removed some soft tissues including connective tissues. Then, figure-of-8 continuous buried ligation was performed through the incision windows. This study is a retrospective study, measures $MRD_1$ changes and excursion distance change of eyelid margine and eyebrow using pre-and post-operative photos of 14 patients. Results: Postoperative photos were taken on the 4th day and all of 14 patients had an improvement in $MRD_1$ statistically. The excursion distance of upper eyelid was improved in half of patients, though not in the range of statistical verification. It was statistically confirmed that the movement of eyebrow was reduced after operation. Conclusion: It is thought that $MRD_1$ improvement without any operation on levator complex means that soft tissue including connective tissue eliminated in operation restricts the movement of upper eyelid. It is defined such factors as burden factors and such phenomenon as burdened eyelid. It is thougt that Korean's small eye is mainly burdened eyelid and cosmetic improvement may be obtaind even by removing such burden factors.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.603-609
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• 2013

Background Although the conventional direct brow lift operation provides a simple means of managing lateral brow ptosis, the scars produced have been unacceptable. However, using the modifications proposed here, scarring showed remarkable improvement. This article reviews our experiences with the presented technique, mainly with respect to postoperative scarring. Methods Measured amounts of supra-eyebrow skin and subcutaneous fat were excised en bloc in the conventional manner under 'hyper-hydrated' local infiltration anesthesia. The lower flap and the edge of the upper flap were undermined above the muscular plane, and the orbicularis oculi muscle was directly suture-plicated and suspended upward to the distal frontalis muscle. Skin closure was performed in a basic plastic surgical manner. Results From April 2007 to April 2012, a consecutive series of 60 patients underwent surgery using the above method. The average width of the excised skin was 8 mm (range, 5-15 mm) at the apex of the eyebrow. Preoperative complaints were resolved without occurrence of significant complications. The surgical scars showed remarkable improvement and were negligible in the majority of the cases. Conclusions The direct brow lift operation combined with plication/suspension of the superior and lateral portion of the orbicularis oculi muscle provides a simple, safe, and predictable means of correcting lateral brow ptosis. The scars were acceptable to all of the patients. For proper management of the frontalis tone, upper blepharoplasty and/or repair of eyelid levator function must be considered in addition to brow lift procedures.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.172-180
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• 2016

Background Conventional frontalis transfer may cause a range of complications. In order to overcome complications, we made modifications to the surgical technique, and compared the outcomes of patients who underwent conventional frontalis transfer with those of patients who underwent modified frontalis transfer. Methods We conducted a retrospective study of 48 patients (78 eyes) who underwent conventional frontalis transfer between 1991 and 2003 (group A) and 67 patients (107 eyes) who underwent modified frontalis transfer between 2004 and 2014 (group B). The frontalis transfer procedures were modified conform to the following principles. The tip of the frontalis muscle flap included soft tissue that was as thick as possible and the soft tissue on the tarsal plate was removed to the greatest extent possible. A double fold was created in cases of unilateral ptosis. In order to evaluate the objective effects of modification, preoperative and postoperative values of the marginal distance reflex 1 (MRD1), the corneal exposure area, and the decrease in eyebrow height were compared between the two groups. Results In group A, patients showed an improvement of 1.19 mm in the MRD1, a 6.31% improvement in the corneal exposure area, and a 7.82 mm decrease in eyebrow height. In group B, patients showed an improvement of 2.17 mm in the MRD1, an 8.39% improvement in the corneal exposure area, and an 11.54 mm decrease in eyebrow height. The improvements in group B were significantly greater than those in group A. Conclusions Modified frontalis transfer showed better results than the conventional procedure and provided satisfactory outcomes.