Complications of browlift techniques: a systematic review

Microanatomy of the Temporal Division of the Facial Nerve in the Periorbital Region Applied to Minimally Invasive Keyhole Approaches

BACKGROUND

Minimally invasive keyhole approaches to the anterior skull base and circle of Willis require small incisions near distal branches of the temporal division (TD) of the facial nerve. Few studies have focused on planning the incision to avoid the TD branches and maximize exposure in these approaches. This study aimed to define a safe zone away from the TD branches for skin incision during minimally invasive keyhole approaches using reliable and practical skin landmarks.

METHODS

In 5 cadaveric heads (10 sides), a Cartesian system was established with the orbitomeatal line connecting the lateral canthus and the external acoustic meatus (x-axis). A perpendicular line was drawn to the x-axis at the lateral canthus (y-axis). TD branches were dissected proximally to distally until the nerve-muscle junction of the orbicularis oculi and fronto-occipitalis muscles. Nerve-muscle junction points were registered in the Cartesian system. Probabilistic heat maps were generated to define a periorbital safe zone.

RESULTS

A median of 3 branches each innervated the orbicularis oculi and fronto-occipitalis. A semicircular area centered on the lateral canthus with a radius of 10 mm was found to have low (<10%) chance of containing a TD branch. This safe zone could be extended posteriorly to 15 mm inferior to the orbitomeatal line.

CONCLUSIONS

Identifying a safe zone for preserving TD branches is crucial for surgical incisions planned in the superolateral region of the orbit. This study provides a clinically applicable and reproducible landmark for planning incisions commonly used during minimally invasive keyhole approaches.

Evaluation and Classification of Supraorbital Nerve Emerging Patterns

BACKGROUND

Numerous significant variations in the supraorbital nerve (SON) pass through the notches and foramina. During endoscopic forehead lifting, the passage and the location of the nerve against the frontal bone render it susceptible to injury, resulting in diminished or absent sensation in the corresponding location. We attempted to obtain accurate knowledge of the SON emergence routes.

METHODS

Data of patients who underwent an endoscopic forehead lift in a plastic surgery clinic between November 2015 and August 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Deep and superficial branch pathways of SONs were identified and compared according to side and gender. We also classified the nerve patterns into six types.

RESULTS

Altogether, 942 patients (1884 SON cases) were evaluated. Out of the patients, 86 patients were male, and 856 were female. The overall mean age was 48.6 (± 13.1) years. In the deep branches, 49% came from the notch, and 51% came from the foramen. In the superficial branches, 67% came from the notch, and 33% of superficial branches came from the foramen. Unlike the deep branch, superficial branches from the notch were significant. Deep and superficial branches of male patients were much more notched than those of female patients. Branches emerged together in 56% and separately in 44% of the cases.

CONCLUSION

The absolute number of SON notches was higher than that of SON foramina. This study with the largest number of SON cases will help surgeons understand the variation and course of SON.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV

This journal requires that authors 38 assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full 39 description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, 40 please refer to the Table of Contents or the online 41 Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Topography of the frontal branch of the facial nerve and its clinical implication for temporal direct browplasty

Due to anatomic proximity to the surgical site, iatrogenic trauma to the frontal branch of the facial nerve (FbFN) with resultant brow paralysis is a recognized major complication of temporal direct browplasty. This study was aimed to elucidate the course of the FbFN in the area superolateral to the brow in order to facilitate safer temporal direct browplasty by preventing facial nerve injury. Forty-five hemifaces from 32 embalmed Korean cadavers were dissected. A horizontal line connecting the tragion to lateral canthus was established. Then, an oblique line passing through the lateral canthus and 45° to the horizontal line was used as reference line. The mean distance from the lateral canthus to the points where the FbFN cross the reference line was measured. The angle between the FbFN and reference line at the crossing points were also recorded. After crossing the zygomatic arch, FbFN continues in an anteriorly inclining curve across the temporal region, passing near the lateral end of the brow as it heads toward frontalis muscles. During the course, the FbFN laying in the innominate fascial layer was divided into 3 branches. The anterior and posterior branch of FbFN crossed the reference line superiorly and laterally at 3 and 4 cm from the lateral canthus, respectively. In conclusion, the oculofacial surgeon must bring the dissection plane of the forehead tissue more superficially around the 3 cm superolaterally to the lateral canthus in the direction of 45° from the horizontal line in order to avoid nerve injury.

TFOS Lifestyle: Impact of elective medications and procedures on the ocular surface

The word "elective" refers to medications and procedures undertaken by choice or with a lower grade of prioritization. Patients usually use elective medications or undergo elective procedures to treat pathologic conditions or for cosmetic enhancement, impacting their lifestyle positively and, thus, improving their quality of life. However, those interventions can affect the homeostasis of the tear film and ocular surface. Consequently, they generate signs and symptoms that could impair the patient's quality of life. This report describes the impact of elective topical and systemic medications and procedures on the ocular surface and the underlying mechanisms. Moreover, elective procedures performed for ocular diseases, cosmetic enhancement, and non-ophthalmic interventions, such as radiotherapy and bariatric surgery, are discussed. The report also evaluates significant anatomical and biological consequences of non-urgent interventions to the ocular surface, such as neuropathic and neurotrophic keratopathies. Besides that, it provides an overview of the prophylaxis and management of pathological conditions resulting from the studied interventions and suggests areas for future research. The report also contains a systematic review investigating the quality of life among people who have undergone small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE). Overall, SMILE refractive surgery seems to cause more vision disturbances than LASIK in the first month post-surgery, but less dry eye symptoms in long-term follow up.

An overview of surgical techniques and non-surgical treatments in lifting the eyebrow including current treatments available

The eyebrow is a complex structure of the human face, which has both functional (communication) and aesthetic aspects and contributes to a persons’ individual appearance. Ptosis of the eyebrow is a common condition, especially among the elderly and smokers. Facial appearance is disrupted by eyebrow ptosis, and in many cases, correction and treatment are needed. No specific type of browlift has been shown to be superior to another, and since there is a wide variation in treatment preference between patients, it requires an individual approach to each specific patient. This review provides an overview of the history of the browlift, non-surgical treatment and current surgical techniques available.

Level of evidence: Not ratable.

Scalp dysesthesia: a neuropathic phenomenon

Scalp dysesthesia is an abnormal sensation of the scalp in the absence of cutaneous disease. It is characterized by a burning and/or itching sensation and can be related to a variety of neurogenic or psychogenic causes. This condition is extremely bothersome and is also common- especially amongst the geriatric population, in women, in patients with diabetes mellitus and patients with psychiatric history. However, despite its prevalence in many populations, there is limited data about its causes and characteristics. Given its limited cutaneous manifestations it is also easily misdiagnosed and an underrecognized cause of scalp pruritus in the dermatological community. Therefore, education on scalp dysesthesia is paramount to helping physicians identify and provide appropriate treatment for these patients. This review focuses predominately on the neurogenic causes (with a brief review of psychogenic itch) of scalp dysesthesia and the therapeutics that have been found to be effective for this condition. Neurogenic causes of scalp dysesthesia occur with damage to the central or peripheral pathways of itch sensation, resulting in modification and heightened sensitivity of nerves that result in abnormal sensations in the absence of or out of proportion to external stimuli. A comprehensive review of etiologies is provided here, ranging from lesions to the central nervous system caused by cervical spine disease, trigeminal trophic syndrome, tumor, stroke, and multiple sclerosis, to small fiber neuropathies caused by diabetes, brow lifts, keloid and burn scarring. Recently, there have also been reports of scalp dysesthesias associated with post-infectious COVID-19. Treatment options tailored towards disease severity and different causes of disease will also be discussed. By elucidating the different mechanisms and therapeutic treatments of scalp dysesthesia, we hope to provide clinicians with the tools to identify and treat this condition as well as encourage further research into its etiologies and therapeutics.

Aesthetic Analysis of Alteration of Eyebrow and Forehead Position After Endoscopic Eyebrow lift

BACKGROUND

Some of the surgeons performing endoscopic brow lift believe that this technique does not lead to clinically significant enlargement of the forehead.

PURPOSE

The goal of this study is to determine the change in eyebrow and forehead height after endoscopic brow lift and to assess the durability of the result over time.

METHODS

The pre- and postoperative photographs of 97 patients who underwent endoscopic brow lift from January 2016 to July 2020 were standardized and analyzed. The distance between median hairline and upper edge of eyebrow, the distance between upper edge of the eyebrow and edge of the lower eyelid and the distance between edge of the lower eyelid and the nasal base were measured, and the change in the upper face proportion was measured and analyzed.

RESULTS

There was statistically significant brow elevation after endoscopic brow lift in all three time periods (less than 1 month, 1-6 months and greater than 6 months). Forehead height did not change to a significant degree, while eyebrow height was increased statistically significant. A longitudinal study on 14 patients for whom multiple follow-up data were available showed that the increase in periorbital height appears to be sustained over time, whereas the change in the forehead height is not as readily apparent, resulting in a bigger relative change in the periorbital compared to the forehead height.

CONCLUSIONS

The brow height increased more than the forehead height, corroborating the fact that most of our patients have not complained about forehead becoming larger.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Upper Blepharoplasty with Endoscopically Assisted Brow Lift to Restore Harmonious Upper Lid Arc Curvatures

BACKGROUND

Achieving excellent results in upper lid rejuvenation requires a balanced approach to address skin, muscle, fat, upper lid margin position, and brow aging changes. In the appropriately selected patient, brow lifting plays an essential complement to upper blepharoplasty to restore more youthful upper lid fold-to-pretarsal ratios. The goal of this study is to describe a safe and reproducible method to perform brow lifting and upper blepharoplasty.

METHODS

Medial to the temporal line of fusion, in-line with the brow peak, a 2-cm scalp incision is oriented parallel to the course of the deep branch of the supraorbital nerve to minimize the risk of nerve injury. The brow vector of pull is maximal in this location and secured to a monocortical bone channel with 3-0 polydioxanone. Lateral to the temporal line of fusion, an ellipse of scalp tissue is excised to gently elevate the brow tail. Upper blepharoplasty is performed in an individualized fashion to achieve a youthful contour of the upper lid fold.

RESULTS

The endoscopically assisted technique is designed to achieve tissue release under direct visualization. The brow-lift maximal vector of pull is centered over the brow peak and, to a lesser extent, at the brow tail to improve lateral upper lid fold height and a smooth contour of the pretarsal space. Muscle shaping sutures improve convexity of the lateral upper lid fold.

CONCLUSION

In the appropriately selected patient, combined brow lift and upper blepharoplasty with muscle contouring are safe and effective techniques that help improve aesthetic upper lid topographic proportions.

Eyebrow Height Changes with Aging: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

The eyebrows play an important role in emotional facial expressions, nonverbal communication, and facial esthetics. A comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms underlying eyebrow aging is vital in allowing plastic surgeons to appropriately address these age-related changes and to recreate an aesthetically desirable outcome for patients seeking brow rejuvenation. The aim of this study is to summarize the current literature on eyebrow height changes with aging.

Gliding Brow Lift (GBL): A New Concept

BACKGROUND

Creating the ideal aesthetic eyebrow shape and position is an important goal in facial rejuvenation. One challenge of an eyebrow lift is to find a predictable procedure that balances the advantages and disadvantages of the available strategies. The gliding brow lifting (GBL) is a technique that provides minimal incisions, an effective and stable eyebrow lift, and offers the advantage of precise reshaping of the eyebrow.

METHODS

In a retrospective review, 124 patients, who underwent GBL technique from November 2015 through April 2016, were evaluated. With minimal incisions and tumescent infiltration, the subcutaneous plane of the forehead, eyebrows and temporal face is undermined releasing the skin from the underlying frontalis muscle, orbicularis oculi muscle, corrugator muscle and temporal parietal fascia. Fixation of the repositioned and reshaped eyebrow is achieved with the use of a hemostatic net for temporary cutaneous fixation.

RESULTS

The average follow-up period was 17 months. Adequate brow repositioning and/or reshaping was achieved in 118 patients. Six patients had bilateral or unilateral recurrence of ptosis. Of these patients with recurrence, four patients had the same procedure re-performed within 1 month postoperatively with successful repositioning and/or reshaping of their brow. There was no incidence of hematoma, seroma, infection, permanent sensory changes, motor dysfunction, skin flap necrosis or alopecia.

CONCLUSION

The "gliding brow lifting" (GBL), which combines subcutaneous frontal undermining with minimal incisions, elevation and reshaping of eyebrow and use of a temporary cutaneous fixation with hemostatic net (Net), allows effective, long-lasting results with low rates of complications and satisfactory results.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.

Are We Measuring What Really Counts?

Most published clinical research is faulty because of many reasons, one being faulty design. A remedy to this problem is the correct utilization of the PICOT (population, intervention, comparative intervention, outcome and time horizon) format in the design of a clinical research question. One element of the PICOT format, "outcome," has not been assessed adequately in aesthetic surgery. In this review, we found that in the last decade of all randomized controlled trials and comparative studies published in Aesthetic Surgery Journal, only about half specified a primary outcome. Regrettably, only 40% reported both a primary outcome and justification for choosing this outcome. This poses a credibility issue with the conclusions of the majority of published studies. There is an urgent need to develop critical outcome sets for aesthetic procedures to be utilized by future investigators. With such a critical outcome set, we will be able to pool the results of multiple studies on the same subject and reach conclusive results.

Simplified Lateral Brow Lift under Local Anesthesia for Correction of Lateral Hooding

Background

A limited incision lateral brow lift has been described as an alternative to the endoscopic or the bicoronal approaches. The senior author has developed a safe and effective lateral brow lift technique that can be performed in an office setting under local anesthesia.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 150 consecutive patients who underwent a brow lift by the senior author (TAM). The technique begins with an upper blepharoplasty incision which is used to divide the corrugator under direct vision, followed by a release of the periorbital retaining ligaments. The lateral temporal incision is the access point for dissection above the deep temporal fascia then connecting to the subperiosteal plane, allowing full mobility of the brow. Galea is advanced with sutures and redundant skin is excised.

Results

All patients treated with this technique had resolution of lateral brow hooding. Two temporary neuropraxias of the frontal branch of the facial nerve were observed with full resolution and no permanent nerve injuries occurred. The revision rate was 7% and there was a 3% incidence of delayed wound healing at the temporal incision with no infections. One hundred forty-two patients (97%) underwent this procedure with sedation, 52 of which (35%) were in the office with light oral sedation.

Conclusions

The limited incision lateral brow lift as described allows for safe elevation of the lateral brow. When complemented by upper blepharoplasty, this technique provides excellent and natural-appearing rejuvenation of the upper face.

Multiplane Forehead Shortening: Sparing the Frontalis Muscle and Supraorbital Nerve

BACKGROUND

An appropriate forehead-to-face ratio is an important factor contributing to a balanced and attractive face. Conventional methods have been used to correct long forehead, but these methods have drawbacks. The primary objective of this study was to introduce a modified technique with better results.

METHODS

Between March of 2015 and March of 2017, 525 patients with long forehead underwent multiplane forehead shortening with sparing of the frontalis muscle and supraorbital nerve. The operation began with a design indicating the area of skin excision. The sensory nerves were preserved during the skin excision, and the frontalis muscle was not cut. Subgaleal dissection was performed through a small window on the galea. The postoperative assessments included the change in forehead length, sensory changes on the scalp, the presence of a scar, alopecia, and synchronous movement of the flap.

RESULTS

A mean forehead shortening of 2.0 cm (range, 1.1 to 2.8 cm) was observed. Sensory deficits were observed only in the anteromedian scalp, which the supratrochlear nerve innervates. However, sensation recovered to the normal level within 6 months. Scars were barely visible or not visible at all in 85.5 percent of the patients. Postoperative alopecia occurred in only two cases. The synchronous movement of the forehead and scalp was natural in all cases.

CONCLUSION

This modified technique of multiplane forehead shortening with sparing the frontalis muscle and supraorbital nerve provided both cosmetic and functional benefits.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic, IV.

Transcutaneous Brow Shaping: A Straightforward and Precise Method to Lift and Shape the Eyebrows

BACKGROUND

The height of the eyebrow is less crucial aesthetically than is the relationship between the lateral and medial portions of the brow. Although various surgical procedures are effective in raising the brow, the authors maintain that transcutaneous brow shaping (TBS) is the only technique that enables precise shaping of the brow and correction of minor asymmetries.

OBJECTIVES

The authors described their experiences with direct TBS alone or in conjunction with blepharoplasty and facelift.

METHODS

A total of 212 patients underwent TBS performed by the senior author (M.P.C). All patients were evaluated clinically and by means of pre- and postoperative photographs. Patients completed questionnaires indicating scar quality and satisfaction with the results.

RESULTS

There were no major complications. Scar visibility was low, and patients expressed a high level of satisfaction with the aesthetic results of TBS.

CONCLUSIONS

A misconception of transcutaneous browlift procedures is that they yield visible scars. TBS requires accurate planning, preservation of subcutaneous volume, limited undermining, preoperative application of botulinum toxin, and perioperative administration of local vasodilators. When these requirements are fulfilled, the authors have found that TBS does not yield a visible scar and is the easiest, most precise, and most reliable procedure for brow shaping.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

4.

Methodological guide to adopting new aesthetic surgical innovations

Aesthetic surgery is known for its prolific introduction of new techniques, devices, and products. The implementation of any aesthetic innovation, however, may inadvertently expose patients to potential complications and adverse events. How do we decide whether a new technique or technology is superior-in both safety and effectiveness-compared with prevailing interventions? In this paper, we present some basic steps anchored in evidence-based surgery that aesthetic surgeons need to pursue in the adoption of a new technique, technology, or product. These steps include: (1) gaining familiarity with and understanding the levels of evidence; (2) performing an effective literature search; (3) formulating a critical appraisal of an article; (4) making the decision to adopt or reject; (5) recognizing the need for continued assessment; (6) acknowledging the need for education and credentialing; and (7) translation of the gathered knowledge. We hope that this paper will foster critical thinking and reduce the reliance on "photographic evidence" in aesthetic surgery literature.