[Eye Surgery] Everything About Canthoplasty! Part 1 - Epicanthoplasty & Upper Canthoplasty A to Z

Hello.

This is Plastic Surgery at April 31.

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Today, I’d like to talk about

epicanthoplasty and upper canthoplasty,

which are among the eye corner surgery procedures.

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These two procedures are often confused.

We’ll take some time to clear up questions such as

when canthoplasty is needed

and which type of canthoplasty is suitable for my eyes.

What Are Epicanthoplasty and Upper Canthoplasty?

As the terms epicanthoplasty and upper canthoplasty suggest,

these are procedures that open up the inner corner area of the eye,

which may appear tightly covered,

to create a more refreshed eye shape.

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To explain it intuitively,

epicanthoplasty refers to a procedure that opens the inner corner of the eye,

that is, the area near the tear duct,

toward the space between the eyebrows,

while upper canthoplasty refers to a procedure that opens the upper corner of the eye

in a 45-degree direction.

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Then are the two procedures completely different?

Strictly speaking,

they are almost the same concept,

but depending on which direction is mainly emphasized,

the focus of the procedure differs.

Let’s look at a few examples.

If the inner corner of the eye looks tight,

and epicanthoplasty is performed,

as much as the inner corner is extended forward,

some skin on the upper and lower sides remains.

In the end, because that remaining skin

needs to be adjusted,

epicanthoplasty can also create a slight upper canthoplasty effect.

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On the other hand, if the upper inner corner of the eye is covered,

but the space between the eyebrows is also narrow

and the tear duct is already highly exposed,

then the inner corner itself should not be opened;

instead, the upper corner area needs to be opened,

which is why the concept of upper canthoplasty is needed.

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Even though they are procedures with the same underlying concept,

you can think of them as procedures that can take on different meanings depending on the situation.

When Is Epicanthoplasty or Upper Canthoplasty Needed?!�a0

Epicanthoplasty is ultimately a procedure that removes the Mongolian fold.

The Mongolian fold is a feature that is rarely seen in Westerners

but commonly appears in East Asians.

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The reason is that most East Asian eyes, unlike Western eyes,

tend to have a sunken-eye structure.

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Because of this, fat or skin tends to gather in the narrow space between the brow and the eyelid,

making the eyelids appear relatively puffy.

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As a result of this congenital developmental characteristic,

a skin fold called the Mongolian fold forms over the inner corner of the eye.

This fold has a major influence on the overall eye shape,

the double eyelid line,

the size of the eyes,

and the distance between the eyebrows.

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Because it covers the inner corner of the eye,

the tear duct in the inner eye area is hidden,

making the horizontal length of the eye look shorter.

And because it also covers the upper corner area,

it obscures part of the white of the eye,

making the vertical length look shorter as well,

which creates a cramped and sharp eye impression.

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In conclusion, due to the Mongolian fold,

if the horizontal and vertical lengths of the inner corner look short,

making the eyes feel cramped and sharp,

or if you want to create an in-out line rather than an in-line

and want a more refreshed line starting from the inner corner,

epicanthoplasty or upper canthoplasty may be helpful.

Would Epicanthoplasty or Upper Canthoplasty Be Better for My Eyes?

For canthoplasty,

there are several factors to consider.

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First, the key point is to check whether canthoplasty is appropriate

by considering factors such as the distance between the eyes or

the distance between the eyebrows,

the horizontal length of the face and the length of the eyes,

and the ratio of the white of the eyes on both sides relative to the pupil.

In general,

the distance between the eyes is judged based on the ratio between the temporal width and the distance between the eyes,

using a horizontal line centered on the eyes.

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A satisfying result can be achieved by understanding various factors and then proceeding with the surgery.

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What I want to say here is that

the standard of beauty is influenced more by subjective judgment than by objective measurements.

So rather than deciding by setting each ratio as an absolute number,

it is better to consider the overall proportions of the face and the eyes together.

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Today, we talked about epicanthoplasty and upper canthoplasty.

We’ll come back next time with more useful content.

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