A Novel Approach to Reduce Lid Weight in the Upper Eyelid Blepharoplasty: Split-Thickness Excision of the Palpebral Part of Orbicularis Oculi Muscle

Objectives: With the effect of advancing age and environmental factors, excess skin and muscle start to weigh on the eyelids and cause a tired facial expression. The prevailing opinion is that by partially excising muscle in surgical treatment, this load on the eyelid will be reduced, and more successful results will be obtained. Using a classic strip orbicularis oculi excision, the integrity of the muscle is disrupted, and morbidities such as lagophthalmos and edema increase. In this paper, we share our clinical experiences regarding the split excision of the palpebral part of the orbicularis oculi muscle and the subsequent process. Methods: Twenty-seven patients who applied to our clinic to undergo blepharoplasty were operated on under local anesthesia. The orbicularis oculi muscle was split-excised together with the skin from the marked areas. Results: The split excision of the orbicularis oculi muscle did not cause prolonged edema. The general appearance of the eyelid and face of the patients was observed to have significantly improved in the third month after surgery compared with the preoperative period. No complications such as wound healing, hypertrophic scar, asymmetry, or infection were observed during the follow-up period. Conclusions: The split excision of the orbicularis oculi muscle can be considered a new and effective method in cases in which a muscle excision is planned as part of blepharoplasty. Prolonged edema due to the strip muscle excision is not observed clinically. This technique can eliminate the negative effects of excess muscle tissue on the eyelid without disrupting the integrity of the muscle. Level of Evidence: Evidence Based Medicine Level V