Abstract
A clinical study on the surgical anatomy of the upper-eyelid fat pads was performed on 55 consecutive patients who underwent a blepharoplasty. It was confirmed that the periorbital fat is encapsulated in compartments and that the number of fat pads varies. In 56% of the cases there were two fat pads and in the 44% three fat pads in the upper eyelid. The third fat pad is anatomically and histologically an accessory medial extension of the lateral fat pad. However, for the sake of clarity, the term central fat pad of the upper eyelid is proposed as a denominator of this structure. The purpose of this article is to make the less experienced surgeons aware of variations in the configuration of the periorbital fat and to remind them that after two fat pads are removed from the upper eyelid there might still be a third.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Baker TJ, Gordon HL: Blepharoplasty. In: Surgical Rejuvenation of the Face. St. Louis: CV Mosby, 1986, pp 268–269
Barker DE: Dye injection studies of intraorbital fat compartments. Plast Reconstr Surg59:82, 1978
Bourguet J: La chirugie estétique de l'oeil et des paupiéres. Monde Med 725–731, 1929
Castanares S: Blepharoplasty for herniated infra-orbital fat: Aantomic basis for new approach. Plast Reconstr Surg8:46, 1951
Castanares S: Surgery of the eyelids. In: Grabb WC, Smith JW (eds): Plastic Surgery, 3rd ed. Boston: Little, Brown, 1979, pp 404–409
Courtiss EH: Alternatives in esthetic blepharoplasty. Clin Plast Surg8:739, 1981
Gordon HL: Personal communication, 1989
Gradinger GP: Cosmetic upper blepharoplasty. Clin Plast Surg15:289, 1988
Hugo NE, Stone E: Anatomy of blepharoplasty. Plast Reconstr Surg53:381, 1974
Owsley JQ: Resection of prominent lateral fat pad during upper lid blepharoplasty. Plast Reconstr Surg65:4, 1980
Smith JW: Cosmetic surgery of the ageing face. In: Grabb WC, Smith JW (eds): Plastic Surgery. Boston: Little, Brown, 1973, pp 562–567
Sobotta J, Becher H: Die Augenmuskeln. In: Atlas der deskriptive Anatomie des Menschen. Münich: Urban & Schwarzenberg, 1957, bd 3, pp 296–304
Zide BM: Anatomy of the eyelids. Clin Plast Surg 8:623, 1981
Zide BM, Jelks GW: The eyelids. In: Surgical Anatomy of the Orbit. New York: Raven Press, 1985 p 25
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Niechajev, I.A., Ljungqvist, A. Central (third) fat pad of the upper eyelid. Aesth. Plast. Surg. 15, 223–228 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02273862
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02273862