Lateral Canthal Reconstruction (Types of Outer Corner Deformity After Lateral and Lower Canthoplasty and How to Correct Them)
Lateral or lower canthoplasty is generally performed for 2 purposes.
1) The eyes are short and small
2) The outer corners of the eyes slant upward
However, as explained previously, lateral and lower canthoplasty are destructive surgeries.
The upper and lower eyelids (tarsal plates) at the outer corner are incised and spread apart,
and the lower eyelid is moved downward.
As a result,
i) a "C"-shaped deformity,
ii) ectropion, in which the outer end of the lower eyelid turns outward,
iii) and severe scarring at the outer corner, among other problems, are left behind.
A 27-year-old woman, who thought her eyes were small, had lateral + lower canthoplasty at another clinic several years ago.
The left photo, taken before reversal surgery, shows severe deformity of the outer corner.
The lower tarsal plate (lower eyelid) had sagged downward, resulting in
i) marked sanpaku eyes,
ii) a "C"-shaped deformity,
iii) ectropion, and
iv) a deformity in which the mucosa protrudes beyond the outer corner
The right photo was taken 4 months after surgery.
Before reversal surgery, the outer corner was splayed open, the tarsal plate had pulled away from the eyeball so that the mucosa was visible,
the tarsal plate pointed downward, and there was scarring; the photo shows the right outer corner restored.
All of the problems can be seen to have been completely resolved.
That is, the outer corner has come together to a point, the tarsal plate rises toward the outer corner,
the tarsal plate sits closely against the eyeball, and the surgical marks are barely noticeable.
The left eye also returned almost to its original appearance after lateral canthoplasty reversal.
A granuloma, mucosal exposure, and a "C"-shaped deformity had appeared at the right outer corner,
but after reversal surgery, all of the deformities can be seen to be completely restored, and the scar has faded considerably.