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Difference Between Medial Epicanthoplasty and Lateral Epicanthoplasty

Difference Between Medial Epicanthoplasty and Lateral Epicanthoplasty

While doing your research on double eyelid surgery, you might have encountered the terms “Medial Epicanthoplasty” and “Lateral Epicanthoplasty” along the way.

This is not an unusual thing to encounter since both surgical procedures have something to do with the upper eyelids and can sometimes be done simultaneously with a double eyelid surgery. And while these two terms may sound the same, the result they produce are very different.

The term “Epicanthoplasty” indicates an eye surgery that focuses on the epicanthal folds of the eyes. These folds are often found at the inner area of the eyes, near the bridge of the nose.

Medial Epicanthoplasty

Medial Epicanthoplasty

People who have an epicanthal fold, also known as “Mongolian Fold”, tapering on the inner corner of the eye or when the pink portion of the inner eye is hidden will benefit from a Medial Epicanthoplasty.

A Mongolian Fold on the inner corner of the eye makes the eyes look small and significantly further apart than normal. A Medial Epicanthoplasty will correct the distance of the eyes and make them proportionate to the face.  

By undergoing a Medial Epicanthoplasty surgery, the inner corner of the eyes is elongated to bring the eyes closer to one another with just the right distance between them. The universally accepted distance between the two eyes is one eye width apart.

Different surgeons use different methods when doing a Medial Epicanthoplasty; however, prominent scar visibility, long downtime, and scar thickening are factors you will need to consider before undergoing Medial Epicanthoplasty.

Lateral Epicanthoplasty

Lateral Epicanthoplasty, on the other hand, deal with the epicanthal fold on the outer corner of the eyes, extending the length of the eyes towards the corner of the face.

People with a Mongolian Fold tapering down to the outer corner of the eyes or have less visible white area around the outer area of the eyes will benefit from a Lateral Epicanthoplasty procedure because it helps widen the outer area of eyes.

Eyes with less visible white area around the outer portion give an appearance of eyes being compacted and squished towards the bridge of the nose, making the eyes appear unnatural and small. Correcting this will make both inner and outer portions of the eyes look natural and balanced while making the eyes appear more expressive.

The procedure involves creating an incision on outer eyelid area to reduce the epicanthal fold without much strain. The surgeon will then stretch the fold to a desired length to make the eyes appear almond shape. It would then be stitched in place for 5-6 days before the stitches are removed.

At first, Medial and Lateral Epicanthoplasty may sound the same, but by knowing the difference in the result each procedure has on the appearance of your eyes, you can see that they are not entirely the same. But despite their difference, they are both a good complementary procedure to a double eyelid surgery when it comes to providing you with bigger, better, and more vibrant eyes.

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