Corrugator Supercilii Muscle Resection Through Blepharoplasty Incision

Abstract

Corrugator supercilii muscle resection through an upper blepharoplasty incision, with or without concomitant blepharoplasty, is suitable for patients who have significant corrugator hyperactivity and deep frown lines without eyebrow or forehead ptosis. This procedure is also appropriate for patients who decline a forehead rhytidectomy. After infiltration of local anesthesia with intravenous sedation, skin and fat are excised when a concurrent blepharoplasty is planned. The plane between the orbicularis oculi muscle and the orbital septum is dissected until the corrugator supercilii muscle is exposed. This muscle is identified immediately cephalad to the medial half of the superior orbital rim. The muscle is resected carefully to prevent injury to the supratrochlear nerve medially and the supraorbital nerve laterally. The resultant depression is eliminated with fat removed during the blepharoplasty, or fat or dermis from other sites should the aesthetic plan not include eyelid surgery. Eight patients, seven females and one male, underwent this procedure. The follow-up period ranged from 11 to 19 months, with a mean of 14.5 months. Patients' ages ranged from 25 to 66 years, with a mean of 51.3 years. A scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being excellent, was used to rate postoperative appearance, producing a mean of 4.25. The advantages of fewer skin incisions, less tissue mobilization, and a direct approach to the origin of the problem make this procedure a valuable adjunct to the cosmetic surgery armamentarium.