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Treatment of Tear Trough Deformity: Fat Repositioning versus Autologous Fat Grafting

  • Original Article
  • Oculoplastic
  • Published:
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Fat-preserving lower blepharoplasty techniques and filling techniques using autologous or non-autologous materials are increasingly used to treat tear trough deformity. However, there has been no definitive comparison of the results of fat repositioning versus autologous fat grafting for this condition. The authors used statistical analysis to compare the results of the two methods.

Methods

From October 2013 to September 2015, a total of 101 patients, aged 20–43 years, underwent fat repositioning or autologous fat grafting in our department. Group 1 (51 patients, 102 eyes) underwent intraorbital fat repositioning with septal reset by transconjunctival lower blepharoplasty. Group 2 (50 patients, 100 eyes) underwent autologous fat grafting by lipoinjection.

Results

No significant complications occurred in any patient postoperatively. Four of 102 eyes in Group 1 and seven of 100 eyes in Group 2 had no improvement; the rest had different degrees of improvement. In Grade II and III deformities, fat repositioning resulted in significantly greater improvement of grade compared with autologous fat grafting. The surgical method of Group 1 resulted in better curative effects than that of Group 2.

Conclusion

In patients with tear trough deformity and without obvious skin or orbicularis oculi muscle laxity, both fat repositioning and autologous fat grafting are acceptable for mild deformity. In patients with higher-grade deformities, fat repositioning produced superior results than autologous fat grafting.

Level of Evidence IV

This journal requires that the authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors http://www.springer.com/00266.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to express our gratitude to all the medical staffs who helped us to complete the surgeries and the patients who took part in the study. We gratefully acknowledge the help of the First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, for having provided us a great platform to carry out the research. We also extend our thanks to our beloved family for their loving considerations and great confidence in us all through these years. We also appreciate all those persons who lent their support toward our study.

Funding

Jing-Hong Xu has received a grant from National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81171815). For the remaining authors none were declared.

Financial Disclosures

None of the authors have a financial interest in any of the products, devices, or drugs mentioned in this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plastic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, ZheJiang University, #79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310003, People’s Republic of China

    Chiao-Yun Chiu, Yi-Chen Shen, Qing-Fang Zhao, Fu-Liang Hong & Jing-Hong Xu

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  1. Chiao-Yun Chiu
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  2. Yi-Chen Shen
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  3. Qing-Fang Zhao
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  4. Fu-Liang Hong
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Correspondence to Jing-Hong Xu.

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Chiu, CY., Shen, YC., Zhao, QF. et al. Treatment of Tear Trough Deformity: Fat Repositioning versus Autologous Fat Grafting. Aesth Plast Surg 41, 73–80 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-016-0692-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-016-0692-z

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