title: Current concepts in the surgical management of lagophthalmos in leprosy.
abstract: Existing data suggest that, at a minimum, 2% of paucibacillary patients and 5% of multibacillary patients have lagophthalmos; at least 290,000 people worldwide have leprosy-related lagophthalmos. Surgical intervention is the only method for correcting lagophthalmos; effectiveness of the different procedures commonly used has not been measured. Results from a survey of eye care providers revealed that surgeons in Asia used a wide range of different techniques for the correction of lagophthalmos while almost all of the surgeons in Africa used tarsorrhaphy. There is a need to evaluate surgical outcome of these techniques and to develop guidelines to assist in increasing the number of surgeries for lagophthalmos in leprosy patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of British Columbia, St Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Courtright
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lewallen
mesh_terms: D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000150:complications*; D018579:Patient Selection; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery