Percutaneous Electromyoneurolysis of the Orbicularis Oculi Muscle: A Permanent Substitute of Botulinum Toxinin Crow’s Feet

Abstract

The skin is exposed to many factors that cause wrinkling and loss of elasticity. For the past 30 years, Botulinum Toxin (BT) injections have been the gold standard of treatment for wrinkle reduction. In this article, the authors propose a permanent treatment for crow’s feet wrinkles: Percutaneous Electromyoneurolysis (PEMN) of the Orbicularis Oculi Muscle (OOM) which blocks muscular and nerve fibers using an electrosurgical unit. This procedure was performed on 34 patients between 2016 and 2021, with the objective of attenuating lateral periorbital wrinkles (crow’s feet) or benign essential blepharospasm. The results were evaluated and deemed successful after a 9-month follow-up. Our study demonstrates the effectiveness and viability of this approach and may lead to future applications in facial aesthetics.