Nontraumatic orbital hematoma secondary to labor and childbirth: a case report and review of the literature.

PURPOSE: Non-traumatic orbital hemorrhage without underlying vascular malformations or predisposing conditions is uncommon, and particularly rare in the context of maternal labor. This study combines a novel case report and retrospective review to analyze reported cases and propose insights. METHODS: This study is both a unique case report and literature review examining PubMed publications with articles traced back to original sources through citations for inclusion. Analysis included clinical presentation, visual examination, hematoma characteristics, neuroimaging, management strategies, and outcomes. RESULTS: We present a 37-year-old multigravida woman at 40 weeks gestation who developed acute right-sided proptosis, diplopia, retrobulbar pain, and periorbital edema during the second stage of labor. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a subperiosteal hemorrhage, with subsequent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) excluding vascular anomalies. Symptoms resolved within two months. Only 14 cases of maternal orbital hematoma associated with labor have been reported. The average age was 28 with 42% (6/14) being primigravid. Including our case, forty percent (6/15) developed symptoms during the second stage of labor, 40% (6/15) immediately postpartum, and 20% (3/15) over 24 hours postpartum. Overall, 33% (5/15) had potentially contributing conditions including coagulopathies, delivery complications, or vascular malformations. Unilateral orbital hemorrhage occurred in 87% (13/15). Surgical intervention was necessary in 13% (2/15). Most (87%, 13/15) underwent observation or medical management with full recovery of symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Non-traumatic orbital hematomas associated with maternal labor are rare and likely related to increased valsalva during delivery and heightened blood volume in pregnancy. Neuro-imaging and systemic workup are recommended to assess for vascular anomalies or underlying coagulopathies. The overall prognosis is favorable with most having full recovery.

How Much Does Filler Apparatus Influence Ease of Injection (and Hence, Potential Safety)?

PURPOSE: To document the relative contributions of intrinsic filler fluid dynamics versus delivery systems for ease of injection-specifically, to measure extrusion force variability across different syringes and needles (with the characterization of intrinsic rheological fluid properties vs. delivery apparatus contributions to ease of injection). METHODS: Six different fillers were tested: Belotero balance (Bel), Juvederm Voluma XC (Vol), Revanesse Versa (Rev), Restylane Lyft (Res), Radiesse (Rad), and Teosyal RHA3 (RHA). Extrusion force was measured in Newtons (N) for each by testing using the provided injection apparatus (needle + syringe), and also by standardizing all fillers to the same syringe and then varying needle sizes (30-ga, 27-ga, 25-ga/1.5-inch, 25-ga/2-inch, and 22-ga). Five trials were conducted for each scenario, with comparison via t -test (2-tailed, unpaired, assuming unequal variance). RESULTS: The following results were noted: (1) in order of least to highest extrusion force in box-provided syringe + needle at 0.2 ml volume, the following were noted: Vol < RHA = Bel (27-ga) < Bel (30-ga) < Rev < Res = Rad; (2) for each filler (except for Vol which was similar), the box-provided syringe involved greater extrusion force than the standardized syringe used in this study (each 1-cc, p < 0.05); (3) for 27-ga and 30-ga needles, after standardization of delivery syringe at 0.2 ml volume, a significant difference was noted (proportional to increasing resistance): Bel = Vol = RHA3 < Res < Rev < Rad (for needles of 30-ga [ p < 0.05] and 27-ga [ p < 0.01]); (4) for testing cannulas after standardization of syringes no reproducible order was noted with increasing resistance when using 25-ga/1.5-inch long, 25-ga/2-inch, and 22g/2-inch cannulae; and (5) confirming expectation (validating study technique), the extrusion force was significantly higher for smaller needles and longer needles. CONCLUSIONS: The delivery apparatus appeared to be the most influential contributor to filler injection extrusion force, with significant changes in ease of injection correlated to the filler's intrinsic rheological properties, such as viscosity (when standardized to the same syringe for needles tested). Knowledge of such data could influence the injector's ability to maximize patients' safety and clinical results.

Quantifying Skin Removal During a Face-lift: Does the Approach Matter?

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to measure the amount of skin removed around the ears during a face-lift procedure. The secondary metric assessed skin removal comparing different face-lift techniques of SMASectomy versus deep plane approach and lastly comparing with and without midline corset platysmaplasty (MCP). METHODS: One hundred fifty consecutive face-lift patients were measured for skin removal at 3 cardinal locations in the postauricular, preauricular, and temple regions. Measurements were quantitated and compared statistically with different face-lift techniques. RESULTS: The average skin removal in the postauricular area was 4 cm, the preauricular area was 2.4 cm, and the temple 1.9 cm. There was no difference in skin removal comparing SMASectomy and deep plane face-lift. There was a small but significant difference when MCP was performed, with more skin removal with MCP. CONCLUSION: Quantifying the amount of skin removal during a face-lift procedure provides surgeons and patients important information. There was no difference when comparing the simpler SMASectomy technique with the more invasive deep plane technique.

Comparing Water Absorption of Food and Drug Administration-Approved Hyaluronic Acid Fillers.

BACKGROUND: To compare the water absorption of 12 FDA-approved hyaluronic acid (HA) facial fillers in vitro in conditions relevant to in vivo injection. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to provide long-term insight into an improved, tailored facial rejuvenation approach and to understand sequelae that could affect preoperative surgical planning. METHODS: In 2 experiments, 12 FDA-approved HA fillers were loaded into test tubes with nonpreserved normal saline and then placed in a 94.5°F-96°F environment for 1 month to allow water absorption by passive diffusion. The test tubes were centrifuged so that the hydrated filler could pass to the bottom of the tube. The tubes were centrifuged for 12 minutes at 1,200 revolutions per minute in the first experiment and for 7 minutes in the second experiment. A blue dye was then instilled to demarcate the filler/saline interface. RESULTS: There was variation in the water absorption of different HAs. Low absorption occurred in non-animal-stabilized hyaluronic acid. CONCLUSION: The pattern of water absorption was similar in the 2 experiments. The results inform us about in vivo conditions and provide guidance for filler selection.

Patient Satisfaction and Management of Postoperative Complications Following Ablative Carbon Dioxide Laser Resurfacing of the Lower Eyelids.

PURPOSE: To describe postoperative management following ablative carbon dioxide laser resurfacing of the lower eyelids. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients who consecutively underwent bilateral lower eyelid ablative carbon dioxide laser resurfacing by a single experienced oculoplastic surgeon over a 6-year period was conducted. Patient satisfaction, aesthetic outcomes, and postoperative complications were evaluated as adjunctive or monotherapy. RESULTS: Among 424 patients included in the study, most were female (n = 356, 84.0%) and Caucasian (n = 404, 95.3%), with Fitzpatrick skin types II-III (n = 381, 89.9%). Mean age was 62.8 years (standard deviation: 9.7 years). Most (n = 324, 76.4%) underwent fractional ablative carbon dioxide laser resurfacing of the lower eyelids, whereas 91 (21.5%) received traditional laser resurfacing and 9 (2.1%) had both fractional and traditional laser resurfacing during the same session. At the time of lower eyelid laser resurfacing, most patients also underwent concurrent procedures, including upper (n = 321, 75.7%) and lower blepharoplasty (n = 348, 82.1%); a small proportion of patients (n = 39, 9.2%) did not undergo any concurrent surgical procedure. In addition to ablative laser resurfacing of the lower eyelids, 25 (5.9%) had upper eyelid laser resurfacing, 60 (14.2%) had full-face laser resurfacing, 55 (13.0%) had neck laser resurfacing, and 42 (9.9%) had additional treatment of solar lentigines or dyschromias on the face. Median follow-up duration was 3.9 months (interquartile range: 2.0-11.0 months). In the immediate postoperative period, 22 patients (5.2%) developed contact dermatitis from topical antibiotic eye drops and/or ointment prescribed postblepharoplasty. Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation was observed in 40 patients (9.4%) despite topical prophylaxis; all were eventually successfully treated with a combination of topical nonprescription and prescription creams and/or oral tranexamic acid. A localized herpetic outbreak occurred in 3 (0.7%) who underwent full-face laser resurfacing and 1 (0.2%) who underwent periocular laser resurfacing only; all were successfully treated with oral antiviral therapy. Two (0.5%) developed culture-proven atypical mycobacterial infection of the resurfaced lower eyelid skin and were treated with combination antibiotic therapy for several months until resolution. A small scar was noted in 4 patients (0.9%), which resolved after local corticosteroid injections. No patient developed persistent scarring or ectropion. Patient satisfaction was overall high, with 363 (85.6%) very satisfied and 48 (11.3%) satisfied with the aesthetic outcome of lower eyelid laser resurfacing. CONCLUSIONS: Ablative carbon dioxide laser resurfacing of the lower eyelids can be a useful tool in the armamentarium of the experienced oculoplastic surgeon, with excellent aesthetic results, high patient satisfaction, and low complication rates as adjunctive or monotherapy. Proper and timely management of postoperative complications is essential to maximizing successful cosmetic outcomes.

Noncollagen Dermal Fillers: A Summary of the Clinical Trials Used for Their FDA Approval.

BACKGROUND: Many noncollagen dermal fillers (NCDFs) have been approved by the FDA and are currently the second-most performed noninvasive cosmetic procedure. OBJECTIVE: To summarize and compare the clinical trials reviewed by the United States FDA in the approval of NCDFs. METHODS: The FDA Premarket Approval (PMA) site was queried, and the year of approval, indication, design, primary end points, touch-ups, retreatments, and study duration were extracted and tabulated. RESULTS: Twenty-one FDA-approved NCDFs from 2003 to 2018 and 24 Summary of Safety and Effectiveness documents were reviewed. Differences in the trial design and in reporting of data make comparisons difficult. This article provides comparative tables to make interpreting the various trial results more straightforward. LIMITATIONS: Primary efficacy end points and the way that filler volumes were reported varied by company. This article does not focus on secondary end points or safety data. CONCLUSION: A comprehensive and comparative review of clinical trials of NCDFs by the FDA demonstrates that differences in data reporting, especially for touch-ups and retreatments, make filler duration difficult to compare and interpret. Understanding of the trial design will allow the clinician to become more astute and allow for better management of patient expectations in clinical practice.

CO2 Laser Lash Tilt Technique for the Treatment of Mild to Moderate Lash Ptosis and Augmentation of Upper Eyelid Blepharoplasty Results.

PURPOSE: To assess the safety, efficacy, and patient satisfaction of a newly described technique for the treatment of mild to moderate lash ptosis performed as augmentation to upper eyelid blepharoplasty. METHODS: Patient medical records for 27 consecutive cases of upper eyelid blepharoplasty between January 2016 and June 2017 and 19 consecutive cases of upper eyelid blepharoplasty with the laser lash tilt procedure between July 2016 and January 2017 performed by the senior author were retrospectively reviewed. Lash position in preoperative and postoperative photographs was graded in a randomized masked fashion on a 4-point scale by 5 oculoplastic surgeons. RESULTS: There was a significant improvement in mean lash position scores for the control group (0.52 ± 0.34, p < 0.001) with mean lash score improving from 1.14 ± 0.46 before surgery to 0.62 ± 0.46 after blepharoplasty alone. There was also significant improvement in mean lash position scores for the laser lash group (0.98 ± 0.52, p < 0.01) with mean lash score improving from 1.66 ± 0.62 before surgery to 0.68 ± 0.50 after blepharoplasty with laser lash treatment. The improvement in lash position seen in the laser lash group was significantly greater than the improvement seen in the control group (p = 0.001). There were no complications and all patients were satisfied with their results. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with upper eyelid blepharoplasty alone, the addition of the CO2 laser lash tilt technique provides a significant improvement in the upward tilt of the eyelashes as they emerge from the eyelid margin.

Long-term outcome of a patient with paradoxical hypertrichosis after laser epilation.

One underreported, rare side effect of laser hair removal is paradoxical hypertrichosis. It is largely unknown what the long-term outcomes are of patients who develop this complication. We report a 21-year-old, Fitzpatrick II, male patient, who had patchy areas of dark hair affecting various body areas. An Alexandrite 755 nm laser was used to address the desired areas at energies between 20 and 22 J/cm2 at 10-12-week intervals over a course of seven treatments. After three treatments, the patient noted a significant increase in the density and length of hairs involving the back, shoulders, neck, and upper arms. The patient was followed on a biannual basis, without further epilatory intervention. After 10 years, the areas of paradoxical hair growth were sparser compared to immediate post-treatment but remained denser compared to pre-treatment. This case illustrates improvement in the condition over time without intervention. Further studies are needed to determine the etiopathogenesis of this phenomenon.

Chlorhexidine Keratitis: Safety of Chlorhexidine as a Facial Antiseptic.

BACKGROUND: Effective antiseptic to reduce surgical site infections is a cornerstone of modern surgery. Chlorhexidine gluconate-based antiseptics are among the most effective of these products. Unfortunately, chlorhexidine solutions are toxic to the cornea and middle ear, and they pose a splash risk to both the patient and health care personnel. OBJECTIVE: To examine the clinical evidence that led to the disavowal of chlorhexidine antiseptic solution for use on the face and head. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Reference searches were performed using PubMed, Embase, and LexisNexis databases without restriction to the date of publication, language, or study setting. RESULTS: The literature revealed 11 sentinel cases of severe chlorhexidine-related keratitis in the late 1980s. These cases are reviewed together with data on ototoxicity and alternative products to understand why chlorhexidine solution should not be used on the face and scalp. CONCLUSION: Chlorhexidine antiseptic solutions are highly effective. However, they pose a risk to the middle ear and have the potential to irreversibly damage the cornea with a minimal splash exposure. Povidone-iodine is a safe and effective alternative.