Canthoplasty surgery – This is a relatively subtle procedure that, when done just right, can improve the appearance of your eyes dramatically. This procedure addresses the lateral (outer corner) of your eyelids. By changing this corner to a sharper or higher outer eyelid corner, the patient can experience a strong positive effect on their physical appearance, and can make them look less tired and more alert. This in turn can have a positive effect on ones self esteem, interpersonal relationships and in the work environment.
Canthoplasty techniques are frequently used to create the desirable almond eye shape that people may look for, but it is also often used in combination with other lower eyelid adjunct procedures, such as:
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Lower lid tightening - This procedure is often performed for aesthetic reasons as an add-on procedure in lower eyelid blepharoplasty as well as for reconstructive reasons in patients with a droopy lower eyelid. It is also regularly performed in conjunction with a canthoplasty (see above), because both a displaced outer eyelid corner and a droopy lower eyelid is often caused by eyelid laxity with increasing age.
- Lower lid heightening – This procedure is inherently different than lower eyelid tightening. The low position of the lower eyelid can be caused by other reasons than eyelid laxity, for instance by a relatively large eye, a shallow orbit (the bony socket that houses the eye and the surrounding soft tissues) or patients with Thyroid Eye Disease in which the eyes bulge forward because of inflammation of the soft tissues surrounding the eye. In these cases the lower eyelid can be heightened by adding tissue (instead of removing tissue as in most eyelid tightening procedures), which gives usually a very satisfying effect with little discomfort. In cases where there is significant exposure of the eye, eyelid heightening can be used in conjunction with a canthoplasty or tarsoraphy to best reposition the lower eyelid. The details of which will be discussed in office, as these differ from case to case.