Brow asymmetry after brow lift

I am 45 and am 12 weeks post-op from a "bad" Botox outcome which caused ptosis in my left eyebrow. I am also 28 days post-op from an "open" Brow lift and lower Blepharoplasty.

The right side is fine, but the left side is not. I have malar swelling and the left brow is far lower than the right.

I was told that I didn't need to wait for the Botox to completely wear off before having surgery.

Is it possible to actually damage muscle that has been treated with Botox during surgery? Do you think this will get better?

4 answers to “Brow asymmetry after brow lift”

A: Brow asymmetry after browlift and Botox

Richard P. Rand, MD

 At this point, the best thing to do is to wait several months until all Botox has worn off and you have totally healed from the surgery.  Only then can you properly assess where you are with respect to brow symmetry.  Probably some of these issues will resolve if you can be patient.

A: Brow asymmetry after browlift

Ricardo Rodriguez, MD

 Many patients notice asymmetry after surgery, because they naturally expect the surgeon to correct what they perceived as wrong. The surgeon, on the other hand, must manage the patient's expectations for the following reasons: Nobody can achieve symmetry, unless it be by pure luck. The body is... more

A: Brow Asymmetry

Richard W. Fleming, MD

If the asymmetry is do to your botox injections, it may still improve. Although I tell my patients that botox lasts about 3 months, I have seen it last months longer in some patients. You are only 1 month after the browlift operation. If the asymmetry is due to temorary, transient weakness following surgery,... more

A: Tincture of time...

Robin T.W. Yuan, MD

You do not mention if you have weakness or paralysis of the brow muscle from Botox or the surgery. In any case, you should wait a significant amount of time before assessing your situation. This could be months since muscle or nerve weakness from surgical trauma might take that long to recovery. As far as... more

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Comments

Fran in Orlando
13 posts
19 May 2009

Thank you so much for your response Dr. Yuan. The brow weakness/ptosis/paralysis was initially caused by the Botox, and it had not resolved prior to surgery. Being one of those patients that "needed" a brow lift (as opposed to Botox) and after having had several unsatisfactory Botox outcomes, this was the final straw for me. This is why I went ahead with the surgery before waiting for the Botox to wear off. However, I totally see what you're saying about the benefits of waiting. While I'm sure my brows were never "perfectly" symmetrical. They were never perceptibly asymmetrical -- so hopefully this story will have a happy ending. Thanks again.

Fran in Orlando
13 posts
23 Jun 2009

Update: I am 9 weeks post-op and the asymmetry has improved considerably. I still notice it and my PS can still see it, but I doubt anyone else would unless I pointed it out to them. Whew, I'm glad that's over! I think the two worst things about plastic surgery are A) Paying for it and B) The long, uncertain wait to see your results........

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