How Can I Make My Eyes Not Look So Close Together?

Q: Dr. Eppley, My face is marginal and atypical, and it harms my life because people think I am stupid because of my close eyes and very narrow face. I heard that you are the only expert capable of making cranioplasty (heavy surgery) an aesthetic goal. My question: is it possible to reshape my face by widening it and widening the gap between my eyes? And is it risky?”

A:Thank you for your inquiry and sending your picture. I believe you are referring to a decreased intrapupillary distance (IPD), otherwise known as close set eyes. While the definitive treatment his orbital box osteotomies with the expansion as an adult that is a major craniofacial surgery an it must be considered very cautiously. The first question in that consideration is are there other more minor procedures that may provide enough benefit that such a major surgery is not needed. Such minor procedures include narrowing the nasal bones between the eyes and decreasing the medial extension of the lacrimal lake of the inner eyes. This can provide 3 to 4 mm per side of increased IPD that may be enough to make a significant visual difference. I have taken your picture and done some imaging of that change to see how that looks to you.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Plastic Surgeon