A recent study found that diplopia following lower blepharoplasties in children is not as rare as was once believed.

The anonymous 13-question survey polled 703 members of the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. It asked about frequency and characteristics of persistent diplopia (defined as lasting longer than one week) after lower blepharoplasty.

About half of the survey recipients responded. Of these, 23.2% reported at least one case of persistent diplopia following the procedure. The inferior oblique muscle was involved in 61% of these cases, the inferior rectus muscle in 8% and both the inferior oblique and inferior rectus muscles in 5%. Muscle involvement was not identified in 26% of these cases.

In 58% of patients, diplopia was paretic, and in 42%, it was restrictive. The survey results revealed that persistent diplopia in the primary position occurred in 8% of patients, and it occurred in 19% of patients in gaze positions other than the primary position. It resolved completely in 73% of patients.

The investigator concluded, “There’s a significant chance of surgeons performing lower blepharoplasties having at least one case of diplopia lasting over a week postoperatively.”