Abstract
BACKGROUND: Transconjunctival fat repositioning is the gold standard for the correction of tear trough deformity. For fixation of fat pedicle, the internal fixation (IF) and externalized percutaneous suture (EPS) techniques are used, which have their own advantages and disadvantages. The present study aimed to introduce a new IF technique using a devised needle (EZ-Tcon) and to compare its outcomes with those of the conventional EPS technique. METHODS: Patients with primary tear trough deformity who underwent transconjunctival fat repositioning were reviewed and categorized into two cohorts according to the fixation technique: cohort 1 consisted of patients treated using the conventional EPS technique and cohort 2 consisted of those in whom the new IF technique using EZ-Tcon was adopted. Post-operative complications and aesthetic outcomes were assessed using a four-scale grading system. RESULTS: A total of 545 patients, 211 from cohort 1 and 344 from cohort 2 were evaluated with a median follow-up of 70 days. Compared to cohort 1, cohort 2 showed significantly lower rates of long-standing conspicuous scars on lower eyelid, re-operation and overall complications. In the analysis of aesthetic outcomes, 88.9 percent of cohort 2 showed grade 0 (no deformity) or I (mild deformity) post-operatively. The rate of excellent outcomes (improvements of ≥ two grades) was significantly higher in cohort 2 than in cohort 1 (p-value < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our technique using EZ-Tcon could possess advantages of the conventional IF and EPS techniques, showing lower complication rates and aesthetically satisfactory outcomes, and could be a safe and reliable method of transconjunctival fat repositioning. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .