Botulinum Toxin to Improve Lower Blepharoplasty Scar: A Double-Blinded, Randomized, Vehicle-Controlled Clinical Trial

Yau Li Huang, Christopher Glenn Wallace, Yen Chang Hsiao, Mei Ching Lee, Jung Ju Huang, Frank Chun Shin Chang*, Zung Chung Chen, Sindy Hu, Jyh Ping Chen

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal Article peer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Lower blepharoplasty is a common cosmetic operation that relies on minimal postoperative scarring, but Asian patients are at higher risk than Caucasians for hypertrophic and/or widened scars. Botulinum toxin type A (BTX) injections are widely employed to alleviate dynamic facial rhytids and also can improve scar quality by reducing scar tension. The authors assessed whether simultaneous transcutaneous lower blepharoplasty and BTX injections could improve subciliary scar quality. Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess whether simultaneous transcutaneous lower blepharoplasty and BTX injections could improve subciliary scar quality. Methods: This is a prospective, randomized, vehicle-controlled, double-blinded clinical trial. Between May 2015 and May 2018, 40 adults who underwent bilateral transcutaneous lower blepharoplasties were randomized to receive BTX (n = 20) or vehicle (normal saline; n = 20) injections into the lateral orbicularis oculi muscle immediately after wound closure. Vancouver Scar Scale, Visual Analogue Scale, and photographic scar width measurements at 3 reference points were recorded at the final clinical follow-up. Results: Thirty-seven patients completed the trial. Vancouver Scar Scale and Visual Analogue Scale scores in the experimental and vehicle control groups were similar, but scar widths in the experimental group at all measured points were significantly narrower than in the vehicle control group (P < 0.001, P = 0.027, and P < 0.001 at each measured point, respectively). Conclusions: Transcutaneous lower blepharoplasty scars in Asians can be significantly narrowed by simultaneous BTX injections without additional complications.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1003-1010
Number of pages8
JournalAesthetic Surgery Journal
Volume41
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - 01 09 2021

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Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Aesthetic Society.

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