A Case Report of Epiphora after Epicanthoplasty

Purpose: The epicanthus is a specific feature in Asian. Many techniques have been described to eliminate the epicanthal fold: resection of glabellar skin, resection of medial canthal skin, V-Y advancement, V-W technique, modified Z-plasty, multiple Z-plasties, and others. The authors observed postoperative epiphora after correction of epicanthal fold by periciliary skin flap without damaging lacrimal duct. Methods: A 19-year-old woman underwent non-incisional blepharoplasty, septorhinoplasty, and periciliary epicanthoplasty. On her history, she didn't have any symptom of epiphora preoperatively. And there was no specific complaint of epiphora during the postoperative two weeks. However epiphora got worse from one month after the surgery. She was out of this country, so the patient re-visited the clinic on the postoperative six months for this on-going symptom. On an ophthalmologic examination, patient's lacrimal duct and sac was intact but both lacrimal puncta of the patient were covered with a thin membrane. This membrane was punctuated by a 25 gauge needle and dilated with a standard dilator. Results: After ophthalmologic treatment, no recurrence was observed during five weeks of follow-up periods. Conclusion: Both lacrimal puncta of the patient were only covered with membranes. And we could not confirm the direct relationship between periciliary epicanthoplasty and postoperative epiphora. The probable factors will be a predisposing narrowed punctum, post operative peri-punctal edema and decrease in muscular function of orbicularis oculi.

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