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Forehead and brow rejuvenation: definition of a surgical algorithm

  • Original Paper
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European Journal of Plastic Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Ptosis of the eyebrows, or a very high and wrinkled forehead, may be found in both young adults and the elderly. Static wrinkles can be effectively addressed by surgery in which the approach varies from endoscopic to open procedures. The absence of a unanimously accepted treatment algorithm creates difficulty in selecting the best option in every case. The aim of this study is to find the optimal treatment, given differently featured patients who are all seeking forehead rejuvenation.

Methods

We carefully reviewed the literature on forehead and brow rejuvenation. Furthermore, 123 brow lift cases in the first author’s practice have been analyzed; as such, the algorithm we proposed here was applied.

Results

In a 10-year follow-up period, seven endoscopic cases have shown relapse. Scarring, the inevitable outcome of any surgical procedure, resulted in pathology in two cases, necessitating a “touch-up” to ameliorate some aesthetic issues. The relatively low complication rate suggests that proper indications have been conveyed; our algorithm demonstrated a high degree of effectiveness.

Conclusions

According to our experience, each technique is more applicable for certain patients. In this sense, our updated algorithm should be extremely helpful to young surgeons who are willing (and technically able) to handle forehead rejuvenation cases.

Level of Evidence: Level V, therapeutic study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Piovano Medical Center, Circonvallazione Gianicolense, 143, 00152, Rome, Italy

    Luca Piovano

  2. Plastic Surgery Institute, Viale di Villa Pamphili, 85, 00152, Rome, Italy

    Marco D’Ettorre

Authors
  1. Luca Piovano
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  2. Marco D’Ettorre
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Luca Piovano.

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Conflict of interest

D’Ettorre Marco and Piovano Luca declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. However, for this type of retrospective study formal consent is not required.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Patients provided written consent for the use of their images.

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Piovano, L., D’Ettorre, M. Forehead and brow rejuvenation: definition of a surgical algorithm. Eur J Plast Surg 41, 285–292 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00238-017-1355-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00238-017-1355-2

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