title: A randomized controlled trial comparing everting sutures with everting sutures and a lateral tarsal strip for involutional entropion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether there is a statistically significant difference in the surgical outcome of everting sutures (ES) alone versus everting sutures with a lateral tarsal strip (ES+LTS) in the treatment of involutional entropion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective randomized comparative trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-three patients with primary involutional lower eyelid entropion were enrolled in the study. The age range was 54 to 94 years, with a mean age of 77 years. Baseline characteristics of the comparative groups were similar.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients requiring primary surgical repair for involutional entropion were selected, and those providing informed consent were randomized for surgery. Thirty-six patients were randomized to ES alone, and 27 patients were randomized to ES+LTS. Patients were evaluated at 3 weeks and 6, 12, and 18 months postoperatively.
  
  
  METHODS
  Successful surgery was defined as a normal eyelid position at rest and inability to induce entropion on tetracaine provocation testing at or before the 18-month follow-up visit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight patients were lost to follow-up (7 had ES alone). Of the 55 patients with complete follow-up data, there were 6 failed procedures in the patients who underwent ES alone and no failed procedures in the patients who underwent ES+LTS (P = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data provide strong evidence that success rates at 18 months are higher in patients treated with ES+LTS procedure compared with ES alone.
authors.affiliation: Charing Cross and Western Eye Hospitals, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Marius A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Scheepers
authors.forename: Ravi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Doris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zuercher
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.forename: Catey
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bunce
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fong
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Michaelides
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Olver
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004774:Entropion / Q000601:surgery*; D005143:Eyelids / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; D011098:Polyglactin 910; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013536:Suture Techniques; D013537:Sutures; D013710:Tendons / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D011098:Polyglactin 910