Comparison of three techniques for repair of involutional lower lid entropion: a three-year follow-up study.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to quantify the efficacy of three different surgical techniques for entropion repair in a 3-year follow-up study: (1) the Fox procedure, (2) everting sutures and (3) a modified technique of lower lid retractor plication.


METHODS
We included in our study 32 eyelids of 32 consecutive patients with involutional lower lid entropion; 10 lids underwent the Fox procedure, 13 the everting sutures and 9 the modified retractor plication. We evaluated the pre- and postoperative horizontal lid laxity (HLL), the pre- and postoperative lower lid excursion (LLE) and the number of recurrences in each patient group. Statistical analysis was performed with the non-parametric Mann-Whitney test and the exact Fisher's test where appropriate.


RESULTS
Only the modified retractor plication technique showed statistically significant differences in HLL and LLE (p < 0.05). In the group treated with this technique, there was a lower incidence of entropion recurrence (p < 0.05). The everting suture technique showed a statistically significant improvement of the LLE only (p < 0.05). The Fox procedure did not show any statistically significant improvement of the studied parameters.


CONCLUSIONS
The modified retractor plication technique gave the best results in terms of improvement of HLL and LLE and a lower incidence of entropion recurrence compared to the two other techniques studied.
Altieri
Michele
M
Section of Ophthalmology, Department of Neural Sciences and Vision, University of Genoa, Italy. altieri.ferraris@tin.it
Iester
Michele
M
Harman
Francesca
F
Bertagno
Roberta
R
Capris
Paolo
P
Venzano
Davide
D
Baldi
Franco
F
Altieri
Gianguido
G
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004774:Entropion / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; D012008:Recurrence; D013536:Suture Techniques; D016896:Treatment Outcome