Hamid Reza Fallahi1, Seied Omid Keyhan2, Joe Niamtu3, Milad Alikazemi4, Raha Habibagahi5. 1. Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon, Private Practice; Dental Research Center, Research Institute of Dental Sciences and School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Tehran, Iran. 2. Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon, National Advance Center for Craniomaxillofacial Reconstruction, Craniomaxillofacial Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences; and Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research Network, Shahaid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Tehran, Iran. 3. Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon, Private Practice; Fellow, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, Chicago, IL; and Diplomat, American Board of Cosmetic Facial Surgery, Philadelphia, PA. 4. Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon and Assistance Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. 5. PhD of Biomaterials, Orthodontic Research Center, School of Dentistry, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Electronic address: Raha2979@yahoo.com.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Numerous methods have been developed for blepharoplasty, including carbon dioxide (CO2) laser-assisted blepharoplasty. Although the superiority of CO2 laser compared with the scalpel for blepharoplasty has been proposed, to the best of our knowledge, no study has compared the clinical outcomes of blepharoplasty with the CO2 laser alone versus the combined use of a scalpel and CO2 laser. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In the present randomized clinical trial, 21 healthy patients underwentbilateral upper eyelid blepharoplasty. For each patient, an initial skin incision was made using the CO2 laser (setting, continuous emission; ultrapulse mode; 3 W of power) on 1 side and a scalpel on the other side. The remaining blepharoplasty steps were conducted using the CO2 laser (setting, continuous emission; 9 W of power) in both groups. The patients were evaluated on postoperative days 1, 3, 7, 14, and 30 using the postoperative repair criteria, including edema and ecchymosis. The Manchester scar scale was used to evaluate the results at 60 days after surgery. RESULTS: Our comparison of the 2 methods showed no significant differences at 1 month after surgery using the evaluation criteria. The scar index was not significantly different after 60 days, despite lower scores in the scalpel group. CONCLUSIONS: In upper eyelid blepharoplasty, making an initial incision with a scalpel, followed by use of a laser provides advantages similar to those found by performing the entire procedure with a CO2 laser alone.
RCT Entities:
PURPOSE: Numerous methods have been developed for blepharoplasty, including carbon dioxide (CO2) laser-assisted blepharoplasty. Although the superiority of CO2 laser compared with the scalpel for blepharoplasty has been proposed, to the best of our knowledge, no study has compared the clinical outcomes of blepharoplasty with the CO2 laser alone versus the combined use of a scalpel and CO2 laser. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In the present randomized clinical trial, 21 healthy patients underwent bilateral upper eyelid blepharoplasty. For each patient, an initial skin incision was made using the CO2 laser (setting, continuous emission; ultrapulse mode; 3 W of power) on 1 side and a scalpel on the other side. The remaining blepharoplasty steps were conducted using the CO2 laser (setting, continuous emission; 9 W of power) in both groups. The patients were evaluated on postoperative days 1, 3, 7, 14, and 30 using the postoperative repair criteria, including edema and ecchymosis. The Manchester scar scale was used to evaluate the results at 60 days after surgery. RESULTS: Our comparison of the 2 methods showed no significant differences at 1 month after surgery using the evaluation criteria. The scar index was not significantly different after 60 days, despite lower scores in the scalpel group. CONCLUSIONS: In upper eyelid blepharoplasty, making an initial incision with a scalpel, followed by use of a laser provides advantages similar to those found by performing the entire procedure with a CO2 laser alone.