New York, NY (May 03, 2001) — "One of the distinct signs of aging is when the distance between the eye and the cheek elongates," according to Newport Beach, CA plastic surgeon Malcolm Paul, MD, president-elect of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). "The vibrant aesthetic ideal is a full cheekbone area, with a short distance from the lower eyelid to the cheek." Dr. Paul moderates a panel focusing on the mid-face—including lifting, fat grafting, skeletal support and cheek implants—at the ASAPS Annual Meeting, May 3-9, in New York.

"The traditional emphasis of plastic surgery has been on only two-thirds of the picture—the forehead, upper and lower eyelids, and the lower face and neck. With new techniques to treat the mid-third of the face, we are closer to completing the picture, achieving total facial rejuvenation," according to Dr. Paul.

"In patients with cheek descent from aging, a harmonious result requires blending the lower eyelid and the cheek into a single aesthetic unit," says ASAPS past president Fritz E. Barton, MD, of Dallas, who is on the panel. "In my approach, the keystone of rejuvenation of the lower eyelid is release and then suspension of the muscle responsible for lid closure. Bulging fat is repositioned, rather than removed, whenever possible. The skin is never stretched."

"The lower eyelid/cheek interface is an exciting dimension of aesthetic surgery that has simply not been explored completely until now," says Dr. Paul.