The rise in popularity of eyelid surgery in Asian populations has led the world-renowned oculofacial surgeons at Eyesthetica to raise awareness about how this procedure is discussed in their field
Los Angeles, United States - April 19, 2021 /PressCable/ —
Los Angeles, CA, April 19, 2021 – With the surging popularity of eyelid surgery among Asian and Asian-American populations, some surgeons are raising awareness about the way this procedure is discussed within their profession — and with their patients.
Recently, the world-renowned oculofacial plastic and reconstructive surgeons at Eyesthetica published research exploring the problematic origins of the term “Asian blepharoplasty,” prompting discussion about the risks of using outdated and potentially harmful terminology to describe medical procedures.
While blepharoplasty itself refers to surgery of the eyelids for functional or aesthetic purposes, the term “Asian blepharoplasty” has long been used to describe the specific type of blepharoplasty performed to create an upper eyelid crease in individuals with monolids — that is, eyelids that naturally have no crease.
Although only half of the worldwide Asian population is born with monolids, the decision for an Asian to have double eyelid surgery, creation of a pronounced eyelid crease, has been controversial despite becoming more popular in East Asia and the United States. The public debate revolves around whether patients who have this procedure are choosing to look “more white” by modifying their “racial features.”
In their recent article, “What is in a Name? It is Time to Retire the Term ‘Asian Blepharoplasty’”, published in Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in 2020, Drs. Michael A. Burnstine, Steven C. Dresner, David B. Samimi, and Christopher C. Lo discuss the term “Asian blepharoplasty” and why they find it concerning.
In short, they say the “obvious discomfort” expressed by their patients upon hearing the surgery referred to with a racial modifier prompted the surgeons at Eyesthetica to ask themselves “whether any other procedures are similarly classified by race.” The answer was no.
“By including the word ‘Asian’ in our terminology,” they continue, “we risk medicalizing the Asian eyelid and implying that it is the ‘Asian-ness’ of the eyes that the patient seeks to remedy,” when in fact this is the aspect of their eyelids that they say their patients explicitly request to preserve.
The authors recommend that their colleagues cease referring to this procedure as “Asian blepharoplasty,” and instead use “double eyelid surgery,” a more accurate and descriptive term of creating a double eyelid from a monolid; this change seeks to normalize the procedure as cosmetic rather than racially motivated.
“Words and the language we use has impact,” the authors conclude. By changing the way their profession refers to this increasingly popular surgery, the surgeons at Eyesthetica hope to see a shift in the way this procedure is discussed to ensure the emotional well-being of patients who choose to undergo double eyelid surgery.
About Eyesthetica
At Eyesthetica, the main goal is total patient satisfaction. Every procedure is tailored specifically to each patient. The oculofacial surgeons at Eyesthetica provide a refreshed look while making sure patients still look like their natural selves. With over 70 years of combined experience in cosmetic plastic surgery and complex reconstructive surgery, the professionals at Eyesthetica are devoted to exceeding every patient’s expectations.
To learn more about the surgeons at Eyesthetica, click here: https://www.eyesthetica.com/
Eyesthetica – Los Angeles Eyelid Surgery
500 Molino St Unit 107, Los Angeles, CA 90013
+1 213-451-6824
https://www.eyesthetica.com/los-angeles-eyelid-surgery/
Contact Info:
Name: Mark Grisby
Email: Send Email
Organization: Eyesthetica
Address: 500 Molino St Unit 107, Los Angeles, CA 90013, United States
Phone: +1-213-451-6824
Website: https://www.eyesthetica.com
Source: PressCable
Release ID: 89006008
