Classification of blepharoplasty

It is well known that one of the most gratifying plastic surgery operations is the correction of baggy eyelids, known as blepharoptosis, blepharochalasis, or a multitude of names given to conditions of the eyelids which mar the beauty of a patient. Even though many techniques have been applied to the variety of conditions that exist in the aging or acquired or hereditarily deformed eyelids, no one has really been able to come up with a definitive classification of deformities of the eyelid because of the many factors involved. Even though we have various names such as blepharoptosis and adiposa cutis laxa, none of these general terms has a good enough definition to give us a complete understanding of what we are to correct on each individual patient. To help classify the complex problem, I try to present a very rough classification of the types of deformity that exist in patients seeking blepharoplasty. The basis of my classification is anatomical factors coupled with the progression of operative techniques from the most simple to the most complex.