Periocular Aesthetics

Charles N.S. Soparkar

It has been an extraordinary honor and pleasure to serve as a guest editor for Seminars in Plastic Surgery. This issue focuses on the periocular region, the area often touted to be the most frequently treated for aesthetic concerns.

Because most plastic surgeons have a broad, in-depth appreciation of brow lift, blepharoplasty, and midface suspension techniques, we have brought together an outstanding group of oculoplastic surgeons to elucidate some of the more common but perhaps less broadly considered periocular issues.

Dr. Burroughs and colleagues provide us with an outstanding article on the preoperative assessment of the ocular region, rendering a complicated, often overwhelming topic highly accessible to the nonophthalmologist. Dr. Tower’s thoughtful discussion of periocular asymmetry provides a logical approach to recognizing, characterizing, and managing these problems. Dr. Sami’s review of preoperative and postoperative eyelid edema brilliantly simplifies a highly diverse group of problems and is a must-read for all eyelid surgeons. Similarly, Dr. Jordan favors us with the benefit of his vast experience in the area of eyelash loss.

At first blush, the administration of periocular anesthesia seems mundane and routine, but Dr. Skibell not only reviews painless injection techniques but also reminds us of many potential perils, including ocular penetration and orbicularis anesthetic myotoxicity.

Dr. McDonald is congratulated for the clarity of his presentation on minimally invasive blepharoptosis repair. Dr. Olson’s work on upper face Botox chemodenervation is brimming with valuable and insightful pearls born of extensive personal experience. Dr. Kersten provides a straightforward solution to those aggravating periocular, dilated veins. Drs. Espinoza and Holds masterfully manage the complex topic of tear trough deformities. Thyroid orbitopathy, a common malady that all facial plastic surgeons should understand and recognize, is beautifully covered by Drs. Alsuhaibani and Nerad.

Finally, Drs. Blanco, Clavero, Klapper, and Patrinely reveal the many potential complications of periocular laser and cold-steel surgery, offering many preventive as well as postoperative suggestions and solutions.

In short, this issue of Seminars in Plastic Surgery provides an eye-opening look at important but perhaps infrequently reviewed periocular aesthetic issues.