Is a Canthoplasty Enough To Create Exotic Looking Eyes?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in eye reshaping surgery. I am 26 years old and interested to have slanted/exotic/cat eyes. I’m not sure if canthoplasty alone will achieve my goals.
I don’t know if canthoplasty alone or canthoplasty combined with a cheek lift would work better. Will the canthoplasty and/or cheek lift fail in the short run due to gravity? such as lasting no more than a few months?

A: Changing one’s eyes to a look that is more ‘exotic’ almost always means the lateral canthus (corner of the eye) needs to be elevated and be substantially higher than the inner corner. (hence the out to inner ward downward slant. Certainly the basis of doing requires a canthoplasty procedure of which the most secure would be what is known as a drill hole lateral canthoplasty which can really pull up and maintain a new lateral canthal position. This would be far more effective and secure than a canthopexy or even a standard lateral canthoplasty procedure where the tendons is sewn onto itself or to the periosteum of the inner orbital wall. Whether that would be enough depends on the tightness of your lower eyelid and the cheek skin which can really only be determined by a physical examination. The concept of a cheek lift is a supportive one to the corner of eye and/or providing more of an upward and outer sweep to the cheek and outer eye area. At your young age it would seem a cheek lift would most likely be excessive.