Morphometric long-term evaluation and comparison of brow position and shape after endoscopic forehead lift and transpalpebral browpexy.

BACKGROUND: Although a multitude of proposed forehead rejuvenation procedures have been described, long-term and systematic morphometric evaluation is rare. There are no studies comparing endoscopic forehead lifts and transpalpebral browpexy techniques according to their efficacy in raising and reshaping the brow.

METHODS: In a retrospective study, standardized photographic documentations of patients undergoing an endoscopic forehead lift or a transpalpebral browpexy were morphometrically analyzed. Five measurements were taken to evaluate brow height, and two measurements were taken to describe the change in brow shape.

RESULTS: Fifty-six and 29 patients, respectively, in the two groups were analyzed up to 5 years postoperatively. Morphometric evaluation proved a significant elevation of the total brow and an improvement in brow shape for the endoforehead group, whereas the brow position after the transpalpebral browpexy significantly descends, despite an improvement in subjective aesthetic outcome. An additional blepharoplasty after the endoscopic forehead lift does not lower the brow significantly.

CONCLUSIONS: The efficacy of the endoforehead lift is supported by extensive, systematic, and long-term data, and its superiority over transpalpebral approaches has been proven. The descent of the brow after transpalpebral browpexy is most likely caused by a decrease of frontalis hyperactivity after the simultaneously performed blepharoplasty. Further studies need to evaluate its effect compared with blepharoplasty alone.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, III.