Factors Influencing Patient Satisfaction with Upper Blepharoplasty in Elderly Patients

Upper blepharoplasty in elderly patients has characteristics that differ from those of younger patients. Blepharoptosis in elderly patients causes not only aesthetic problems but also functional problems such as entropion, visual disturbance, and sore eyes. We hypothesized that factors influencing patient satisfaction with upper blepharoplasty in elderly patients include aesthetic outcomes, functional outcomes, and personal factors. METHODS: This study included 57 patients aged >65 years who underwent upper blepharoplasty between April 2018 and March 2019. All surgeries were performed through the “Upper Blepharoplasty Service Project” of the public health center in Geoje City. To evaluate the individual characteristics of the patients, a preoperative questionnaire (including sociodemographic characteristics, main symptoms of discomfort in the upper eyelid, and degree of expectation of surgical results) was administered to the patients. After 6 months, a satisfaction survey was conducted accordingly. RESULTS: The main symptoms of discomfort were sagging of the skin of the upper eyelid. The mean score for patient satisfaction was 3.84 ± 0.40, and satisfaction with the results of surgery relative to the cost was 4.53 ± 0.63, which was the highest score. Significant verification of the regression coefficients showed that functional improvement and cognitive degree of postsurgery precautions had a significant effect on patient satisfaction, whereas aesthetic outcomes and expectations of surgical results were not correlated with patient satisfaction. CONCLUSION: The findings indicated that elderly patients tended to be satisfied with functional improvement that resolved their symptoms of discomfort and personal factors such as cost and cognitive degree of precautions after upper blepharoplasty.