title: Eyelid retractor surgery as an adjunct to cicatricial ectropion repair.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effectiveness of eyelid retractor repair in cicatricial ectropion of the lower eyelid.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study design was a prospective case series. One hundred and twenty eight eyelids were operated on in 100 consecutive patients with cicatricial ectropion. All patients underwent lower eyelid retractor repair via a conjunctival approach combined with skin replacement to the anterior lamella with or without a horizontal lid tightening procedure. When only medial ectropion was present, a medial-based transpositional skin flap was used to repair the anterior lamella (26 eyelids). The remaining eyelids with ectropion involving all or most of the eyelid underwent upper-to-lower eyelid lateral-based transpositional skin flap repair (92 eyelids), or full thickness free skin grafting (10 eyelids). Horizontal lid tightening was performed by lateral canthoplasty in 123 eyelids.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Relief of cicatricial ectropion symptoms was reported in 90% of patients overall. A normal punctum position was achieved in 70% of eyelids, overall, and was highest (88%) with a medial-based transpositional skin flap.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Eyelid retractor repair combined with skin replacement and horizontal lid shortening is an effective procedure for cicatricial ectropion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. brett.odonnell@island.net.au
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: O'Donnell
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000601:surgery*; D004483:Ectropion / Q000601:surgery*; D005143:Eyelids / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D016896:Treatment Outcome