Reconstruction of the upper eyelid crease and fold

A. M. Putterman and M. J. Urist

For good cosmesis the upper eyelid creases and folds must be symmetric. The lid creases must be the same height above the upper lid margins. The skin below the crease must be smooth and firmly attached to the tarsus, or, in cases with a short tarsus, adherent to the short tarsus and levator muscle up to the crease. The skin above the crease must be loosely attached so that it forms symmetric folds over the crease. We have developed surgical procedures aimed at the following: (1) equalizing the upper lid creases and folds where they are asymmetric, (2) creating lid creases and folds where absent, as in Orientals, (3) removing excess unsightly skin folds, as in dermatochalasis, and (4) forming a lid fold by skin grafting where there is insufficient skin above the crease.