Overview
Xanthelasma is not only an aesthetic problem, half of the patients with xanthelasma have cholesterol deposits in the skin of the eyelids. At first they appear punctually in several places, after which they come in contact and form yellowish, irregularly or oval-shaped surfaces, slightly elevated, usually located at the internal eyelid angle.
Xantheasma is associated most often with diabetes or with certain liver problems. According to specialized studies, xanthelasma is a predictive factor for the risk of myocardial infarction, cardiac ischemic disease and severe atherosclerosis.
Being a condition caused by an increase in serum cholesterol levels, the excision of xanthematic plaques does not solve the problem definitively. Other deposits may occur without them being called “recurrence”. It is a new deposit and it will be treated as such.
In the case of large, bulky and large surface deposits, xanthelasma can be surgically removed with suture excision. The threads are taken off 4-5 days after surgery. Sometimes, through the suture of the defect, small deformations, tractions of the palpebral area may occur, but they resolve spontaneously within a few months. Anesthesia is local, with a hospitalization of several hours.
Treatment of xanthelasma
For spot or small-area deposits, a laser vaporization can be done. The laser treatment results in a wound that will heal spontaneously within 10-12 days. There is no yarn, and local care in the early days consists of the cleaning, disinfecting and applying an antibiotic ointment with a small protective dressing. The spontaneous healing of the wound is done by marginal re-epithelialization (closure of the wound) at 3-6 weeks, and the final one at 6 months. Anesthesia is local, with a hospitalization of several hours. After surgery, it is recommended to protect the eyes from strong light and apply cold compresses to the eye area for 10-15 minutes every 30 minutes. The patient can be back to work 5-7 days after surgery, in an environment without dust, smoke, air currents or excessive humidity.
Patients are generally very satisfied with the postoperative outcome.
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