Question:
I’ve heard of something called a temporal brow lift that can be performed right in the doctor’s office. How is this different from a traditional brow lift and how effective is it?
Answer:
There is in fact a procedure called a temporal brow lift. The temporal brow lift is performed by making an incision into the temple behind the hairline and elevating primarily the lateral portion of the brow. Some surgeons claim to have excellent results comparable to traditional brow lift surgery with this technique. but, I have found that the technique works moderately well for lateral brow ptosis (drooping) and not very well for the central and medial part of a fallen eyebrow. Since the dissection is not as involved or complete as a traditional brow lift, the procedure is being performed in an office setting by some physicians. Traditional surgical dissection, barbed threads and endotine ribbons have all been used in the temporal brow lift procedure. I think the biggest short coming of the procedure when performed under local anesthesia in an office is the relative lack of release of the tissue which prevents a thorough brow elevation and decreases the longevity of the results.
Posted by Dr. Philip Schoenfeld