Under-eye surgery, fat relocation, and lower eyelid surgery have something in common: individualized
Date posted
<JAYJUN Plastic Surgery & Dermatology Clinic> Plastic surgery specialist Park Hyungjoon, Chief Medical Director
The area around the eyes, where the skin is thin and lacks sebaceous glands, is the first to show signs of aging. It is also the area most prone to loss of elasticity and wrinkles.As skin elasticity decreases with age, the lower eyelids droop and the orbital fat surrounding the eyes sags. This can cause grumpy-looking fat pockets and tear troughs that create a dark appearance.
In addition, wrinkles under the eyes that become worse over time can cause ectropion, in which the lower eyelid is pulled and the conjunctiva is visible.
In this case, it can be improved with transconjunctival under-eye fat repositioning. However, different methods may be more suitable for each individual. According to JAYJUN Plastic Surgery Director Park Hyungjoon [photo], depending on the degree of skin sagging and cosmetic needs of the individual, either transconjunctival under-eye fat repositioning or lower eyelid surgery is selected.
Transconjunctival (through the conjunctiva) relocation of subocular fat has the advantage of less visible scars and a relatively short surgical time. Additionally, the extent of swelling and bruising is less than that of lower eyelid surgery.
However, since the corrective scope is limited to the under-eye fat pads and tear troughs, it is not suitable for cases with severe skin sagging.
In other words, transconjunctival under-eye fat repositioning is suitable for patients who only want to resolve fat pockets and tear troughs with little or no skin sagging. It is also performed on patients who are concerned about scarring under the eyes despite sagging skin.
Lower eyelid surgery makes an incision below the eyelashes to access the orbital fat and then improves the under-eye fat pads and tear troughs. Some of the sagging skin is removed, and the ends of the orbicularis oculi muscle are fixed to the orbital rim while lifting the lower eyelid, a type of minor lifting surgery. It is suitable for middle-aged and older individuals who want to treat fat pads, tear troughs, and skin sagging simultaneously.
Director Park advised, “In middle-aged eye plastic surgery, under-eye fat repositioning and lower eyelid surgery are relatively simple,” but added, “It is advisable to receive surgery that suits the patient’s needs from a medical staff with a lot of clinical experience in middle-aged plastic surgery and who can communicate sufficiently.”