Surgical correction of crow's feet deformity with radiofrequency current

There are many published surgical techniques for the correction of crow's feet deformity, but subsequent contour irregularities and early recurrence are often reported.

The authors present a radiofrequency (RF) technique to treat crow's feet that can prevent complications while simultaneously maintaining long-term results.

From April 2010 to February 2012, a total of 52 consecutive patients (3 men and 49 women) underwent surgical correction of crow's feet with an RF current. Following elevation of the skin flap in the temporal area, the lateral portion of the orbicularis oculi muscle was partially elevated and splayed. Then the RF current was applied to the elevated muscle flap until the target temperature of 60°C to 80°C was reached. Clinical outcomes were observed through photographs with patients in a natural smiling position.

Mean (SD) patient age was 52.7 (2.2) years (range, 31-73 years). Patients were followed postoperatively during a mean period of 23 months (range, 15-36 months). There were no recurrences of crow's feet during the follow-up period. No major complications were noted.

The main advantage of this surgical technique is preserving continuity of the orbicularis oculi muscle while selectively decreasing muscle tone. Hence, this technique may prevent any contour irregularities. The RF current causes irreversible muscle fibrosis, which in turn provides long-lasting results. While the early results of this series show promising long-term efficacy and a good safety profile, the small number of patients and short-term follow-up period warrant further study.