Efficacy and efficiency of a new involutional ptosis correction procedure compared to a traditional aponeurotic approach.

PURPOSE This was a retrospective study to compare the efficacy and efficiency of a new small anterior incision, minimal dissection ptosis procedure with that of a traditional anterior aponeurotic approach for the correction of aponeurotic ptosis. METHODS The results of a chart and photograph review of 36 patients with 49 ptotic eyelids who had ptosis correction by a small-incision, minimal dissection procedure were compared with those of 36 patients with 49 ptotic eyelids who had ptosis correction by a traditional aponeurotic approach. RESULTS The successful correction of the eyelid height and the rate of recommendation for reoperation were not significantly different for the 49 lids corrected in each arm of the study. The incidence of attaining good eyelid contour was significantly better in the small-incision group, where 41 (97.6%) of 42 lids evaluated by photographs had good contour compared with 29 (78.4%) of 37 lids in the traditional group. Operating time per lid was significantly less for the small-incision, minimal dissection group, 25.3 +/- 13.0 minutes (range, 13 to 68 minutes), compared with 55.4 +/- 16.6 minutes (range, 35 to 119) for the traditional group. CONCLUSIONS Compared with the traditional aponeurotic approach, the new small-incision, minimal dissection technique for ptosis correction is equally efficacious in correcting eyelid height, superior in producing desirable eyelid contour, and much quicker to perform.