Prospective analysis of visual function changes in patients with dermatochalasis after upper eyelid blepharoplasty.

[OBJECTIVE] To evaluate the changes of visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, astigmatism, and higher order aberrations after blepharoplasty in patients with dermatochalasis.

[METHODS] Two hundred six eyelids of 103 patients with dermatochalasis were prospectively studied. Visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, corneal topography, astigmatism degree, and higher order aberrations were examined and recorded before and at 1 month after upper eyelid blepharoplasty. Change in contrast sensitivity and astigmatism values were determined according to margin reflex distance of patients, which were classified into three following groups: <2 mm, 2-3 mm, and ⩾ 4 mm. A Wilcoxon signed rank test was performed to compare the difference.

[RESULTS] No significant differences were observed for visual acuity (p = 0.157). The contrast sensitivity of patients significantly increased at all spatial frequencies both under glare and nonglare conditions (p < 0.05). The mean refractive astigmatism significantly decreased from ‒1.01 ± 1.3 to ‒0.79 ± 0.71, postoperatively (p = 0.029). In patients with marginal reflex distance < 2 mm, mean contrast sensitivity was increased (p < 0.001) and mean astigmatism was decreased significantly (p < 0.001) compared with those with ⩾ 2 mm. Higher order aberrations decreased significantly from 0.62 ± 0.41 µm to 0.55 ± 0.38 µm (p = 0.038) after blepharoplasty. Root mean square of the vertical trefoil (p = 0.038), vertical coma (p = 0.002), horizontal trefoil (p = 0.027), third-order aberration (p = 0.005), secondary vertical stigmatism (p = 0.001), spherical aberration (p = 0.023), secondary horizontal astigmatism (p = 0.002), fourth-order aberration (p = 0.024), vertical pentafoil (p = 0.015), secondary horizontal coma (p = 0.035), secondary horizontal trefoil (p = 0.030), and horizontal pentafoil (p = 0.048) were decreased significantly.

[CONCLUSION] Upper eyelid blepharoplasty in patients with dermatochalasis has a significant improvement in visual function in terms of contrast sensitivity, astigmatism, and higher order aberrations.