Quality of Life Improvement Following Blepharoplasty: A Prospective Study

Background: Our previous retrospective study indicates that esthetic surgery in general results in a significant improvement in Quality of life (QoL). This is the first indication-specific prospective evaluation of QoL after blepharoplasty using standardized and validated questionnaires. Objectives: To report changes in QoL after blepharoplasty prospectively with a 6-month follow-up. Methods: The same surgical team performed an esthetic blepharoplasty on 50 patients. Participants answered 1 set of questionnaires preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively. The instrument consisted of a self-developed indication-specific part specially designed for blepharoplasty and 4 validated and standardized testing instruments (FLZ, FPI-R, RSES, and PHQ-4) with norm data for German-speaking countries available. Results: This study reveals a high rate of satisfaction after blepharoplasty. 96% felt better about themselves and 94% would undergo the procedure again. Statistically significant increased values were found postoperatively in the items "income" (P=0.016), "family life" (P=0.028), "partner relationship" (P=0.039), "ability to relax" (P<0.001), "energy" (P<0.001), "hobbies" (P<0.001), and with their outer appearance in general (P=0.018). Blepharoplasty showed a statistically significant improvement in emotional stability (P=0.017) and a reduction in depressive symptoms (P<0.001). Our patients had statistically significantly higher self-esteem before (P<0.001) and after (P<0.001) the intervention. Conclusion: Our prospective study shows that blepharoplasty increases most aspects of QoL significantly, has a positive effect on emotional and physical well-being, and reduces the incidence of depressive symptoms and anxiety.