Correction of Involutional Entropion with Suborbicularis Septal and Lateral Canthal Tightening

Lateral tarsal strip plus skin-muscle flap excision in the treatment of lower eyelid involutional entropion

This article examines the effectiveness of skin-muscle flap excision in conjunction with a lateral tarsal strip for the treatment of involutional entropion. Ninety-six eyelids in 83 consecutive patients with involutional entropion were treated using a standardized surgical procedure. All patients underwent lower eyelid tightening with a lateral tarsal strip, dissection of a skin-muscle flap inferiorly through a subciliary incision and excision of redundant skin as well as orbicularis muscle. Follow-up data was obtained by retrospective chart review and telephone interviews. 80 patients were included in this study. The only exclusion criteria was failure to attend the 1 week follow-up appointment, n = 3. There was only one recurrence which was mild and revised under local anesthesia. Two patients had overcorrection with mild ectropion but did not require additional surgery. In those that completed their initial post-operative visit, the average time follow-up time was 502 days. Excision of a skin-muscle flap is a useful addition to lateral tarsal strip surgery in the treatment of involutional entropion and is a quick procedure producing excellent functional and cosmetic results. To our knowledge, this is the first cohort of patients to be reported using this technique where all patients had a standardized surgical approach. Additional studies are needed to compare long-term outcomes of this technique against other surgical treatments.

Why does the corrective procedure of the ectropion work for repairing the entropion?

BACKGROUND

The accepted standard for the correction of involutional entropion has not been well established. This is our search for the reasonable answer for our dilemma. For the correction of involutional entropion, we have applied the modified Kuhnt-Szymanowski-Smith method. It brought the best result compared with other various procedures.

METHODS

This report is a retrospective interventional case series of all consecutive patients with the lower-eyelid involutional entropion. They were operated exclusively by the same author with the modified Kuhnt-Szymanowski-Smith method, which was originally reported for the corrective procedure for ectropion.

RESULTS

In total, 27 patients underwent surgical repair with the modified Kuhnt-Szymanowski-Smith method. There were 15 men and 12 women with a mean age of 77 years (range, 70-91 years). There was no case of recurrence following the primary procedure during 20 months of the mean follow-up period (18-36 months).

CONCLUSIONS

From our experience, this is one of the procedures to be considered for involutional entropion. It is not only safe, simple, and effective but also requires short operative time.

Lateral canthoplasty using the Mitek anchor system

BACKGROUND

Lower-eyelid shape and position have important aesthetic and functional implications. While primary canthoplasty is generally a straightforward procedure, secondary canthoplasty can be considerably challenging. This is especially true in the setting of poor periorbital tissues and the resultant lack of a stable platform from which to suspend the canthus. We report the first use of the Mitek device in secondary lateral canthal procedures to remedy this common problem.

METHODS

Twelve patients underwent a total of 19 revision lateral canthoplasties using the mini Mitek suture anchor system. All of the patients had had prior cosmetic and/or reconstructive surgery in the lateral canthal area with resultant canthal malpositioning. To correct this, suture anchors were placed into a 2-mm area of intact bone on the lateral orbital wall, and the lateral canthal tendon was resuspended into proper position.

RESULTS

In this series, there were no postoperative infections or patient reports of persistent discomfort at the anchor sites. All suture anchors remained in proper position postoperatively, and patients reported satisfaction with eyelid shape and function. Most of the patients reported resolution of their preoperative symptoms. Mean follow-up time was 24.2 months.

CONCLUSION

The Mitek suture anchor is an excellent tool for lateral canthoplasty in patients with significant periorbital scarring or suboptimal canthal positioning after multiple cosmetic surgery procedures. It is also a good option for patients with significant soft tissue damage owing to prior surgery, radiation, or trauma in the periorbital field. This technique can be performed quickly through small incisions and requires only a small amount of stable bone for tendon fixation. Results are excellent and the procedure has proven to be safe and effective in our series of patients.

An alternative approach for involutional entropion: a preliminary study

Involutional entropion is an inward rotation of the eyelid margin because of increased horizontal lid laxity, an overriding preseptal orbicularis, atrophied lid retractors, and involutional enophthalmos. There are a myriad of surgical approaches to treat involutional entropion, but the medical co-morbidities that are common in this patient population often make a less-invasive method more appropriate. In this study, a novel and less-traumatic method was tested. Tissue shrinkage effect of the CO(2) laser was used to create cicatricial changes to treat involutional entropion in five patients. Resurfacing was accomplished with the Ultra Pulse CO(2) (carbon dioxide) laser (model UP 5005, Coherent Medical Group, Santa Clara, CA) by the help of computerized pattern generator (CPG) scanning device. The first pass was performed to the entire lower lid and periorbital area, sparing the subciliary region, using 200 mJ of energy. The second pass used the same energy level, but this time resurfacing was extended as close as the lash line. All four of the five patients available for follow-up clinical evaluation (interval between 5 and 21 months) had surgical success with no recurrence of entropion, or symptoms such as itching or irritation. One of the patients who never came back for routine was lost to follow-up. The ectropion was never seen in the long-term follow-up. This method is a suitable alternative for elderly patients with comorbid conditions that prevent them from having invasive surgical procedures.