Treatment of Upper Eyelid Dermatochalasis by Resection of Excess Skin at the Inferior Margin of the Eyebrow

[Introduction] Upper eyelid dermatochalasis due to aging is usually treated with resection of the redundant skin to the double eyelid line. However, because the eyelid skin closer to the lid margin is thinner, suturing of the upper thick skin to the lid margin can cause eyelid thickening. In addition, this procedure is not well suited for patients wishing to avoid a major change in appearance with the reconstruction of a new double eyelid. To overcome these problems, we have resected excess skin at the inferior margin of the eyebrow and achieved good results. [Patients] The subjects were patients with upper eyelid dermatochalasis due to aging and symptoms of “heavy eyelids and loss of superior visual field” but with normal levator palpebrae muscle function. Twenty-two patients (6 men, 16 women;mean age, 68.4 years; age range, 50 to 87 years) underwent the procedure described below at Nippon Medical School Musashi Kosugi Hospital or other affiliated institutions. [Methods] With the patient in a seated position, the surgeon's fingers pinched the upper eyelid skin to determine the amount of skin to be resected.