An Integrated Lateral Canthoplasty Simultaneously for Lateral and Vertical Palpebral Fissure Enlargement.

Abstract

Background: Cosmetic lateral canthoplasty and cosmetic vertical enlargement of the palpebral aperture have been reported one after another to enlarge palpebral fissures in East Asia. However, two separate operations are required to achieve this objective.

Objectives: Here, we introduce a new lateral canthoplasty technique for the simultaneous lateral and vertical enlargement of the palpebral fissure.

Methods: Records of patients who underwent the new lateral canthoplasty from February of 2018 to February of 2023 were reviewed. Images were collected and imported using Image-Pro Plus 6 software. Measurements included the four aspects: (1) distance from the mid-pupillary to the lateral canthus; (2) the inclination between medial canthus and lateral canthus; (3) distance from the pupil midpoint to the lower eyelid margin; (4) distance from the pupil midpoint to the lower eyelid margin at the lateral limbus margin. The satisfaction rates and complications were also analyzed.

Results: Six months after surgery, the distances from the mid-pupillary to the lateral canthus, from the pupil midpoint to the lower eyelid margin, and from the pupil midpoint to the lower eyelid margin at the lateral limbus margin were significantly (P < 0.05) increased. However, the inclination between the medial and lateral canthus significantly decreased. No severe complications occurred.

Conclusions: The new lateral canthoplasty is an effective and stable, with natural looking and fewer complications technique for simultaneously extending the length of the palpebral fissure, decreasing the inclination between the medial and lateral canthus, and enlarging the vertical distance of the palpebral aperture.