Role of Orbicularis Oculi Resection in External Levator Advancement for Aponeurotic Blepharoptosis: A Prospective Randomised Controlled Trial

TL;DR

This study examines whether removing a specific eyelid muscle during eyelid surgery affects dry eye symptoms or eyelid appearance in Southeast Asian patients.

Contribution

The study provides evidence that removing the orbicularis oculi muscle during eyelid surgery does not worsen dry eye symptoms or eyelid appearance.

Findings

Preseptal orbicularis oculi excision had no significant impact on dry eye parameters or eyelid appearance.

Both surgical techniques resulted in successful ptosis correction without significant lagophthalmos.

Patients reported high satisfaction regardless of whether the muscle was removed.

Abstract

Removal of the skin and preseptal orbicularis oculi is the initial step in upper eyelid surgery. Preseptal orbicularis oculi removal has been strongly associated with dry eye symptoms due to sluggish eyelid closure and lagophthalmos. We aimed to investigate the effects of concurrent upper blepharoplasty and external levator advancement (ELA) surgery with or without orbicularis oculi resection on dry eye syndrome and eyelid morphology in Southeast Asian populations.

This prospective, single-centre, double-blind, randomised controlled trial involved 20 Thai patients (40 eyes) with aponeurotic blepharoptosis and excess eyelid skin undergoing combined upper blepharoplasty and ELA surgery. Patients were randomised into a skin–muscle excision group (group A) or a skin-only excision group (group B). Dry eye parameters including tear break-up time, Oxford ocular surface staining, Ocular Surface Disease Index, eyelid appearance, and patient satisfaction were evaluated preoperatively and on postoperative days 7, 30, and 90.

Preseptal orbicularis oculi excision had no statistically significant impact on dry eye parameters, eyelid appearance, or patient satisfaction. For both groups, surgery increased the marginal reflex distance 1 without causing significant lagophthalmos, indicating successful ptosis correction irrespective of muscle excision. There were no discernible differences in postoperative appearance between the two groups, and the patients reported high satisfaction with their treatment.

Combined upper blepharoplasty and ELA surgery, with or without resection of the preseptal orbicularis oculi, may be a safe and potentially effective procedure for patients with aponeurotic blepharoptosis and excess eyelid skin. Our findings demonstrate no evidence of a difference in correlation between either of these techniques and postoperative dry eye parameters or eyelid appearance. Further studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods are warranted.

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