Efficacy and efficiency of a small-incision, minimal dissection procedure versus a traditional approach for correcting aponeurotic ptosis.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the efficacy and efficiency of a new small anterior incision, minimal dissection ptosis procedure with that of a traditional anterior aponeurotic approach for the correction of aponeurotic ptosis.


METHODS
Retrospective, comparative, interventional case series.


METHODS
Seventy-two patients with aponeurotic ptosis who had undergone ptosis correction surgery by 1 surgeon: 36 patients (49 ptotic eyelids) who had ptosis correction by a small-incision, minimal dissection procedure and 36 patients (49 ptotic eyelids) who had ptosis correction by a traditional aponeurotic approach.


METHODS
Charts and available photographs were reviewed for each patient.


METHODS
Postoperative upper eyelid height relative to the center of the pupil and relative to the opposite upper eyelid and the postoperative eyelid contour.


RESULTS
Successful correction of the eyelid height and the rate of recommended reoperation were not significantly different for the 49 lids corrected in each arm of the study. The incidence of attaining good eyelid contour was significantly better in the small incision group, in which 41 of 42 lids (97.6%) evaluated by photographs had good contour compared with 29 of 37 lids (78.4%) in the traditional group. Operating time per lid was significantly less for the small-incision, minimal dissection group, 25.3+/-13.0 minutes (range, 13-68 minutes) compared with 55.4+/-16.6 minutes (range, 35-119) for the traditional group.


CONCLUSIONS
The small-incision, minimal dissection technique for ptosis correction is equally effective in correcting eyelid height, superior in producing desirable eyelid contour, and much quicker to perform than the traditional aponeurotic approach.
Frueh
Bartley R
BR
Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, W. K. Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105, USA. Frueh@umich.edu
Musch
David C
DC
McDonald
Hector M B
HM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019882:Blepharoplasty / Q000379:methods*; D001763:Blepharoptosis / Q000601:surgery*; D005143:Eyelids / Q000294:innervation / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D009801:Oculomotor Muscles / Q000601:surgery; D009882:Ophthalmic Nerve / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome