NEW YORK, NY (May 2, 1997) — Laser skin resurfacing has greatly enhanced the aesthetic plastic surgeon's ability to rejuvenate the upper and lower eyelid areas, plus the difficult-to-treat "crow's feet" wrinkles. Many patients have laser treatments without undergoing any additional surgical procedures at the same time and are happy with the results. Laser treatments are also frequently done in conjunction with eyelid surgery to further smooth the lids. However, according to a report presented at the 30th Anniversary Meeting of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, May 2-7 in New York, the most dramatic improvement in crow's feet wrinkles often can be achieved by a combination of laser resurfacing and a brow lift.

Aesthetic eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty, has long been the traditional method of improving the appearance of the eyelid area. Sometimes a brow lift, performed either through an incision across the top of the head or through several tiny scalp incisions using an endoscope, may be done if the eyebrows sag or are positioned low over the upper eyelids. However, these procedures do not improve skin texture, pigment spots and other problems related to sundamage.

The carbon dioxide laser has the ability to markedly improve the crepey or wrinkled appearance of the lower and upper eyelid skin. It also achieves some degree of skin tightening. Laser treatments easily can be combined with other cosmetic procedures to enhance their results. The report presented at the ASAPS meeting analyzed the before and after treatment photographs of over 100 patients who had undergone various combinations of laser resurfacing, eyelid surgery and brow lift. The photographs represented a postoperative follow-up of six months to two years. Improvement was rated as "excellent" if there was a 95-100% reduction in crow's feet wrinkles around the eyes. A 75-94% reduction was rated as "very good."

"Of the patients who received laser resurfacing of the skin alone, 70% had very good or excellent results," says plastic surgeon Thomas L. Roberts III, MD, author of the study. "Combining skin resurfacing with a brow lift was even better; the results of 100% of patients receiving this combination of treatments were rated very good or excellent. On the other hand, combining laser resurfacing with eyelid surgery did not improve the crow's feet wrinkles to any greater extent than resurfacing alone. The eyelid surgery did, however, improve the puffy bags beneath the eyes."

The study was supported in part by a grant from laser manufacturer Coherent, Inc.