Autologous Fat Graft for the Treatment of Sighted Posttraumatic Enophthalmos and Sunken Upper Eyelid

A Simple Procedure of Fascia-Fat Grafting and Blepharoplasty as a Single-Stage Procedure for the Correction of Sunken Eyelids in Vietnamese Population

PURPOSES

Upper sunken eyelids, which are characterized by the hollowness of the upper eyelids, often cause a poor aesthetic appearance. Herein, we present a simplified technique using fascia-fat grafts for volume augmentation combined with blepharoplasty as a single-stage procedure.

METHODS

From January 2021 to December 2021, 30 patients with sunken eyelids visiting our clinic for hollow eyelid treatment underwent a fascia-fat grafting derived from the inguinal crease combined with simultaneous eyelid reconstruction. A modified classification of sunken eyelids that was more suitable for the Asian population was proposed.

RESULTS

Postoperatively, edema and ptosis were transient and addressed thanks to proper massage and compresses. Two cases had scar fibers leading to a slight tension of upper eyelids at 6-month follow-up. This event was addressed by triamcinolone acetonide injections at 4-6-week intervals with satisfactory results. The orbital volume of all patients was satisfying and stable up to 12 months after the surgery. The satisfaction rate was 100% and 88.8% in group 1 and group 2, respectively, at 12-month follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Fascia-fat grafting combined with blepharoplasty as a single-stage procedure was a simplified method that did not require varied types of surgical tools but brought satisfactory results. This method facilitated the routine procedure and eased surgeons in the clinical practices.

CT volumetry study of microfat graft survival from different donor sites in augmenting the enophthalmic socket

PURPOSE

To evaluate autologous fat grafts harvested from the abdomen versus the thigh for treating the enophthalmic socket using CT volumetry.

METHODS

A randomized prospective interventional study including 20 patients suffering from unilateral enophthalmic socket. Pre-operative clinical assessment included photographs, exophthalmometry reading as well as CT volumetry for volume deficit calculations and the harvesting site was randomly allocated (abdomen or thigh). All patients completed 6 months of follow-up. Exophthalmometry change and percentage of retained fat with the globe included and without it at follow-up were measured.

RESULTS

Microfat graft survival showed no statistically significant correlation with sex, age, or donor site. Mean percentage of retained fat with globe and without it were 14.75% and 25.31%, respectively. Difficulty of extraction and degree of volume deficit correlated significantly with percentage of fat retained. Exophthalmometer change correlated significantly with percentage of fat retained.

CONCLUSION

Autologous fat grafting is a safe and effective technique for volume augmentation of enophthalmic sockets regardless of its harvesting site. CT volumetry has an important role in accurately measuring the volume deficit as well as the postoperative results.

Autologous fat transfer for orbital volume augmentation in sockets with small nonseeing eyes

OBJECTIVE

End-stage ocular diseases usually end up with atrophic bulbi or phthisis bulbi leading to orbital volume loss which needs to be addressed. We studied the use of autologous fat for volume augmentation of the orbit because it is minimally invasive and allows early rehabilitation with the use of an artificial eye.

DESIGN

It was a prospective, interventional study.

METHODS

A total of 14 eyes of 14 patients with atrophic bulbi with shrinkage or phthisis bulbi with no perception of light (PL) and aged older than 18 years were included for the study purpose. Painful or inflamed eyes or suspected intraocular tumors were excluded. An autologous fat graft was obtained from the lower abdomen or buttocks and injected into the retrobulbar space using a 20-gauge cannula after adequate peribulbar anesthesia. Outcomes measures were patient satisfaction, change in Hertel's exophthalmometry, vertical and horizontal palpebral aperture, and socket volume.

RESULTS

Hertel exophthalmometry showed a significant improvement both with and without an artificial eye from 14.92 ± 2.3 mm to 16.71 ± 1.94 mm (p-value 0.003 without an artificial eye). The vertical palpebral aperture also showed a significant improvement from 5 ± 1.70 mm to 6.71 ± 1.58 mm (p-value < 0.001). There was a significant reduction in the socket volume from 1.22 ml to 0.39 ml (p-value < 0.001). No local or donor site complications were seen.

CONCLUSIONS

Autologous fat transfer is a minimally invasive, safe, and effective procedure for orbital volume augmentation in small, nonseeing eyes. The short-term outcome of our study was good in most patients and can be considered for such patients.

Retrobulbar Filling for Enophthalmos Treatment in Dogs: Technique, Description and Computed-Tomographic Evaluation. Preliminary Cadaveric Study

A new therapeutic approach for enophthalmos may be retrobulbar lipofilling. This study aims to standardize the intraconal filling technique and to evaluate the degree of eyeball displacement by computed tomography (CT). Skull CT was performed on six dog cadavers before and after intraconal injection of two 5% iodinated, viscoelastic solutions, one per eye, using an ultrasound-guided supratemporal approach. The volume to be injected was calculated using formulas for retrobulbar cone anesthesia. After CT, the dogs underwent necropsy and histopathology to evaluate damages that eventually occurred to retrobulbar structures. Eyeball displacement was estimated using two CT-based methods, named M1 and M2. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed no significant difference between the two injected materials in both M1 (p > 0.99), and M2 (lateral p = 0.84 and rostral p = 0.84 displacement). A statistically significant difference was found between the pre- and post-injection group M1 (p = 0.002), M2 (p = 0.004) for the lateral and (p = 0.003) for rostral displacement. Although the slight eyeball displacement, the retrobulbar filling can lead to enophthalmos resolution. Compared to M1, the M2 method has better-defined anatomical landmarks. Further, preclinical in vivo studies are necessary to assess retrobulbar filling efficacy and safety.

Ophthalmic Complications Following Facial Autologous Fat Graft Injection: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

INTRODUCTION

With the recent increase in interest in using autologous fat (AF) filler injections to enhance aesthetic facial appearance, there is a noticeable increase in the complications such as vascular compromise and blindness. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to understand the symptomatology of ophthalmic complications related to AF facial injections for cosmetic purposes, their underlying causes, management options, and the final clinical outcomes.

METHODS

This review was conducted according to the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) guidelines. In November 2021, we performed a systematic review of available literature using the following electronic databases: Cochrane, MEDLINE, and EMBASE. Our search was limited to the published studies between 2000 and 2021.

RESULTS

A total of 1052 publications and 34 articles published were included. Twenty case reports, two case series, one prospective cohort study, and eleven retrospective studies were evaluated. The forehead was the most common single injection site (n = 196, 55.36%). The most common initial symptom was periorbital swelling (92.7%). The pooled prevalence of ophthalmic artery occlusion was 50.4% out of all AF injection-related complications. Regarding the management, most patients were managed conservatively (n = 278, 51.38%). Complete improvement was observed among 423 patients (80.57%).

CONCLUSION

Autologous facial fat injection is a minimally invasive procedure with a favorable safety profile in cosmetic applications. However, the common use of these injections in aesthetic surgery has resulted in a concomitant increase in devastating consequences, such as blindness. Therefore, a firm understanding of the potential complications of such interventions is essential.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III

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 .

Efficacy, safety and complications of autologous fat grafting to the eyelids and periorbital area: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

In recent years, autologous fat grafting (AFG), also known as fat transfer or lipofilling, has been widely performed for periorbital rejuvenation and defect correction, although the evidence regarding its efficacy and safety is still lacking. Besides, with respect to the periorbital region, it is invariably the earliest appearance area of the facial aging phenomenon. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis is needed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this technique.

Methods

A literature search was performed in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane library databases on November 20, 2020, adhering to the PRISMA guidelines, to identify all relevant articles. Then, a data extraction and standardization process was performed to assess all outcome data. Ultimately, the data were assessed using a random effects regression model with comprehensive meta-analysis software.

Results

Thirty-nine studies consisting of 3 cohorts and 36 case series with a total of 4046 cases were included. Meta-analysis revealed a relatively high satisfaction rate of 90.9% (95% CI, 86.4%–94.0%). Frequent complications in 4046 patients receiving AFG were edema, chemosis, and contour irregularity, with an overall complication rate of 7.9% (95% CI, 4.8%–12.8%).

Conclusion

This systematic review and meta-analysis showed that AFG for rejuvenation of eyelids and periorbital area provided a high satisfaction rate and did not result in severe complications. Therefore, AFG might be performed safely for periorbital rejuvenation and reconstruction.

Efficacy and Safety of Subcutaneous Temporal Autologous Micro-fat Augmentation

BACKGROUND

Autologous fat grafting is a rapidly developing soft tissue filling technique that has been playing an increasingly important role in facial contouring and rejuvenation surgeries. However, this technique is accompanied by many side effects and risks. In particular, there is still much room for improvement in regard to the surgical method of temporal augmentation with autologous fat, which is highly popular among Chinese people. Better surgical methods can achieve better outcomes while curbing surgical risks.

DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

We reviewed 39 patients who consecutively underwent subcutaneous temporal autologous micro-fat argumentation surgery at Peking University People's Hospital from February 19, 2016, to May 13, 2019, to correct temporal hollowness. Each patient's Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) satisfaction score and Hollowness Severity Rating Scale (HSRS) score before and after surgery were precisely recorded, and any complaints about perioperative complications were meticulously collected to assess the efficacy and safety profile of the novel technique.

RESULTS

All 39 patients included in this study were female. We performed 86 subcutaneous temporal autologous micro-fat argumentation surgeries, with an average follow-up of 20.4 ± 9.6 months. The average fat filling volume in the right temporal region was 6.29 ± 2.55 mL, and that in the left temporal region was 6.34 ± 2.71 mL. The average VAS satisfaction score increased from 4.44 ± 1.33 before the surgery to 8.08 ± 0.77 after the surgery, and the average HSRS score dropped from 1.82 ± 0.72 before the surgery to 0.36 ± 0.49 after the surgery. Four patients were encountered with minor complications of intraoperative bleeding and congestion, which were all completely ameliorated after conservative therapies.

CONCLUSION

In the present study, we found that the reported surgical method of subcutaneous temporal autologous micro-fat augmentation successfully improved the temporal hollowness of the patients, boasting good surgical results and high patient satisfaction with minimal short- and long-term complications, illustrating that it is an effective, safe and promising novel surgical technique worthy of wider clinical application.

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 .

Free Orbital Fat Grafting During Upper Blepharoplasty in Asians to Prevent Multiple Upper Eyelid Folds and Sunken Upper Eyelids

BACKGROUND

Nowadays, a sharp, well-defined supratarsal fold and appropriate fullness of the upper eyelid tissue are considered important features of beautiful and youthful eyes. Individuals with thin upper eyelid tissue are at high risk of developing multiple upper eyelid folds and/or sunken appearance after upper blepharoplasty. Innovatively, the authors propose the application of free orbital fat grafting to the postorbicularis oculi space during upper blepharoplasty in order to achieve better aesthetic results.

METHODS

Fifty Chinese patients with congenital single eyelids combined with mildly sunken upper eyelid tissue were operated on between June 2017 and October 2018. During blepharoplasty, the lateral portion of the orbital septum was dissected, and appropriate lateral orbital fat was harvested. When the double-eyelid fold was formed and skin was interruptedly sutured, the harvested fat was divided into several pieces each side according to the sunken depth, and they were used to replace a layer on two-thirds of the central region of the supraseptal skin-muscle flap through the zipping gaps.

RESULTS

Forty-five patients underwent the follow-up interview for 6 to 18 months with a mean period of 10 months. The satisfaction rate was 82%. No significant asymmetry, irregularities, and sunken upper eyelid and multiple upper eyelid folds occurred.

CONCLUSION

The lateral orbital fat grafting to the central region of the supraseptal skin-muscle flap during upper blepharoplasty is an effective and simple method to correct or prevent multiple upper eyelid folds and/or sunken upper eyelid in Asians.