Dual Epicanthoplasty
So, for those who have never heard about it, what is epicanthoplasty?
Epicanthoplasty is an eye surgery that modifies the epicanthal folds or the Mongolian folds. It is medically known as medial or lateral epicanthoplasty and it aims to lengthen the inner part of the eye to make the eyes look bigger.
Epicanthal Fold
A strong epicanthal fold (also known as the “Mongolian fold”) means that a web forms over your eye and covers your medial canthus. This fold can hide the attractiveness of your eyelids and make your eyes appear smaller and weary. This operation is typically performed on people of Asian heritage, although it is available to any man or woman who desires brighter, larger, and more alert eyes.
The surgery is also known as “Inner corner fold removal” or “Mongolian fold correction”. It is a cosmetic procedure mostly performed in Asian countries. The Mongolian fold is one of the most prominent features in Asian countries.
The skin protecting the inner corner of the eyes has certain drawbacks:
- The space between the eyes looks to be large. It makes the eyes feel uncomfortable.
- Eyes can appear smaller
- The shape of the eyes looks undefined
Medial Epicanthoplasty
The corner of the eye near the nose is the focus of this treatment. A Medial Epicanthoplasty shapes and contours the inner corner of the eyes, making them appear longer and more almond-shaped. It is frequently used in conjunction with Asian Blepharoplasty to give the eyes a rounder, clearer look.
Lateral Epicanthoplasty
Lateral Canthoplasty is a lower eyelid surgery that targets the outside corners of the eyes. This technique enlarges the outer corners of the eyes, making them appear larger and longer. When double eyelid surgery incisions are combined with a Canthoplasty, the combination improves the contour and angle of the eyes.
How Dangerous is Epicanthoplasty?
First, we need to emphasize the fact that if Epicanthoplasty is performed by a licensed well-experienced surgeon, it will be a completely safe procedure with high success and satisfaction rates.
However, just like any procedure, some possible risks and complications might arise. As a surgical candidate, you should consider and be fully aware of these risks including:
- Allergies. Skin testing is always performed before the surgery to eliminate any risks; however, some people might be allergic to anesthesia and sutures.
- Poor scarring. Some people may notice a scar after the procedure for a few months, but they improve over time. However, epicanthoplasty these days is performed using certain techniques with hidden incisions to avoid visible scarring.
- Infections. It is an extremely rare complication due to infection at the incision site, however, it can be treated easily by a topical or oral antibiotic.
- Unsatisfactory results. That can be easily avoided by making sure that your surgeon is a very experienced professional..
Postoperative complications of epicanthoplasty can be very rare, however, the procedure itself might be challenging because the epicanthal folds overlie the lacrimal canaliculi, the tear drainage canals. This location is highly visible and the tissue there, between the nose and eyes, can be easily distorted.
Any small mistake may interfere with the tear drainage system of your eyes, but this is also easily avoidable.
Can the surgery be reversed?
In fact, yes, it can be reversed. If the patient is not satisfied with the results, the surgeon can recreate the Mongolian fold by pulling the soft tissue on the scars and thus restore the previous shape of the eye.
Epicanthoplasty in Korea
Epicanthoplasty is a common procedure for patients who want larger eyes. This surgery can also get rid of the Mongolian fold, which is common among Koreans and Asians. Because the inner eyelid is one of the most sensitive areas of your eyes, Epicanthoplasty should be performed with extreme caution. Epicanthoplasty is frequently performed in combination with double eyelid surgery in South Korea to produce a more natural appearance.
Conclusion
Epicanthoplasty is a popular cosmetic surgery procedure in Asia due to the common presence of muscle tissue in the epicanthal layer, also called Mongolian Fold. Up to 70% of Northeast Asians have it as well as some Westerners. Long ago, surgeons simply cut the skin so there were issues with visible scarring. But today, we view it as a muscle tissue issue, and the skin is something that follows naturally when the underneath muscles are rearranged. So, the concept is different now. In the past, the aim was to alter the skin (how to extend or cut), but today the technique is to relax the muscles beneath in order to achieve the desired appearance, minimizing scarring after the procedure.
In some cases, epicanthal eye surgery is not just for cosmetic purposes but also for practical reasons. Some have a pronounced epicanthal layer that obstructs vision. In such cases, the surgery offers much needed relief from vision obstruction.
When surgery is not done perfectly, there can be scarring called “sausage”. The reason we call it a sausage is when the fold is too big or when the muscle tissue right below the fold was removed excessively. In such cases we need to remove the sausage and do surgery once more. So, it is important to do surgery skillfully. And if sausages appear, we can remove them and redo the surgery.
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