Orbicularis muscle graft for treating deep glabellar rhytids

Abstract

ABSTRACT Purpose To evaluate the efficacy of grafting a preseptal strip of orbicularis muscle to treat deep static glabellar wrinkles. Methods This was a prospective, interventional, case series study that included patients aged between 21 and 80, who underwent upper and lower blepharoplasty, and who presented varying degrees of deep static glabellar rhytids. After marking the glabellar rhytid, a subcision was made with 40 x 12mm needle along the entire length of the glabellar wrinkle. The orbicularis muscle graft was set into the recipient pocket already created in the glabella. The patients answered a self-assessment form about the results using the subject Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale after 6 months. Results Seventeen glabellar rhytid fillings were performed. As for the subjective evaluation of the result of the specific glabella filling procedure, the patients were distributed as follows: 12 rhytids (70.6%; 12 out of 17) were self-assessed as much better; 4 rhytids (23.6%; 3 out of 17) were self-assessed as better, and 1 rhytid (5.8%; 1 of 17) was self-assessed as unchanged. Conclusion This technique has excellent results, is easy to perform, has low morbidity and presents a high degree of satisfaction when patients evaluated themselves.

Keywords

• Facial aging
• Orbicularis muscle
• Graft
• Glabellar rhytids