Comparison of Postoperative Scarring in Asian Women After Supra-brow and Sub-brow Blepharoplasty: A Retrospective Study

Background Supra-brow and sub-brow blepharoplasty are two types of upper eyelid blepharoplasties that are commonly performed in middle-aged Asian women to correct skin laxity of the upper eyelid; the postoperative scar formation of the two procedures may be different. Therefore, we designed this retrospective study to explore the differences in postoperative scarring between patients receiving supra- or sub-brow blepharoplasty. Methods We identified 52 patients who underwent supra-brow blepharoplasty and 54 patients who underwent sub-brow blepharoplasty. For each patient, the scar quality was assessed using photographs, the Observer Scar Assessment Scale (OSAS), and the Patient Scar Assessment Scale (PSAS) 1 year following surgery. Results For OSAS, higher scores for pigmentation, thickness, relief, pliability, surface, and overall opinion were observed in patients who underwent supra-brow blepharoplasty ( p < 0.05) except for the “vascular score” ( p = 0.148). The average overall opinion scores of the supra- and sub-brow blepharoplasty were 3.90 ± 0.41 and 2.33 ± 0.48, respectively, indicating that acceptance of postoperative scars in patients who underwent supra-brow blepharoplasty was worse than that in patients who underwent sub-brow blepharoplasty. Significantly higher scores were observed in all items of PSAS items for patients with supra-brow blepharoplasty ( p < 0.05). Conclusions The postoperative scars in patients who underwent supra-brow blepharoplasty were more obvious than those in sub-brow blepharoplasty. From the perspective of postoperative scar formation, sub-brow blepharoplasty may be a more suitable choice for patients. Level of Evidence V 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 .