Sunken Eyelid Correction

Eye socket depression is frequently observed in middle-aged and old patients with eyelid laxity and is mainly caused by atrophy or natural loss of fats in the eyelids due to aging, which thus gives a defective appearance of the eyelids sinking toward the eyeballs. For a minority of patients, it is due to excessive orbital fat removal in a prior double eyelid surgery or inappropriate weight loss that induces premature sinking of the eye sockets. Regardless of the cause, its treatments are available in the following non-surgical and surgical methods in light of the severity of depression or the age of the patient:

Hyaluronic Acid Injection

Autologous Fat Injection

Free Fat Graft

Comparison of Periocular Fat Filling Methods

Fat injection Fat graft
Ideal candidates Young patients who have thick skin and early sunken eyes or tear-through groove, male patients Patients with moderate to severe sunken eyes or tear-through grooves due to aging or combined eyelid skin looseness, female monolid patients
Anesthesia method IV sedation + local anesthesia IV sedation + local anesthesia
Surgical incision Single injection needle hole at the eyelid Linear incision on upper  or lower eyelid
Method for collecting fats Low-pressure liposuction Retrieval of intact adipose tissues
Incision for collecting fats Small (approximately 0.5 cm) Relatively long (approximately 1 cm)
Grafting method Subcutaneous fat injection Deep layer fat emplacement
Concurrent surgery No Double eyelid surgery or lower eye bag external incision surgery (lower blepharoplasty)
Self-absorption rate Relatively high (>50%) Low (<40%)
Adipose lump Probable Relatively few
Fat dislocation Probable No
Result durability Relatively short (approximately 2–3 years) Relatively long (more than 3–5 years)