Background: Asian eyelids are characterized by the presence of an epicanthal fold and the absence of a supratarsal fold. Because many Asians desire wide, open, large eyes, elimination of the medial epicanthal fold along with double-eyelid operation frequently are performed for cosmetic improvement. Medial epicanthoplasty enhances the aesthetic result by lengthening the palpebral fissure horizontally, thus producing larger-looking, open eyes. This study describes the author's method for correcting the medial epicanthal fold.
Methods: Simple epicanthoplasty with minimal scar, the author's method, was performed to correct the epicanthal folds of 52 patients from December 2001 to August 2005 at the Catholic University of Korea Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital.
Results: This technique yielded excellent results in terms of inconspicuous scar and long-lasting open medial canthal area during a 3-year follow-up period. Of the 52 patients, 2 showed a depressed scar on the lower eyelid, which was corrected satisfactorily.
Conclusion: Many procedures have been introduced to correct the epicanthal fold, but scarring or undercorrection remains as a dilemma for surgeons to overcome. Simple epicanthoplasty with minimal scar is a simple, easy-to-follow, and effective method that can be applied to various cases of medial epicanthal fold.