title: What causes increased contrast sensitivity and improved functional visual acuity after upper eyelid blepharoplasty?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to report the cause of increased contrast sensitivity and improved functional visual acuity after upper eyelid blepharoplasty.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-two eyelids of 16 patients with dermatochalasis and involutional ptosis were prospectively studied. Contrast sensitivity, corneal topography, high-order aberration (HOA), and degree of lash ptosis were examined and recorded before and at 1 month after upper eyelid blepharoplasty. A Wilcoxon signed rank test was performed to compare the difference.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The contrast sensitivity of patients significantly increased in every spatial frequency and light condition. Corneal topography showed no difference before and after blepharoplasty. Ocular HOA, especially total HOA, third-order, fourth-order, trefoil, coma, and second astigmatism decreased significantly after surgery (P = 0.008, 0.011, 0.028, 0.033, 0.038, and 0.049, respectively). The degree of lash ptosis also decreased after blepharoplasty (P = 0.046).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our study, increased contrast sensitivity and improved functional visual acuity after upper eyelid blepharoplasty were caused by changes in ocular HOA and the degree of lash ptosis after surgery. There were no changes in corneal topography or astigmatism.
authors.affiliation: From the *Department of Ophthalmology, Korea University College of Medicine; †Department of Ophthalmology, KEPCO Medical Center; and ‡Department of Ophthalmology, Nune Eye Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jung Wan
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hwa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Minwook
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Minsoo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Tae Soo
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sehyun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001251:Astigmatism / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D019882:Blepharoplasty; D001763:Blepharoptosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity / Q000502:physiology*; D003315:Cornea / Q000503:physiopathology; D019781:Corneal Topography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult