title: Correction of severe ptosis with a silicone implant suspensor:  22 years of experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with severe ptosis caused by poor or absent function of the levator muscle but with good frontalis muscle excursion usually benefit from a frontalis sling procedure. This is currently carried out using organic or inorganic material to connect the upper eyelid to the frontalis muscle.
  
  
  METHODS
  The aim of this study was to evaluate retrospectively 112 patients who underwent frontalis sling procedures between 1989 and 2011 using a preformed silicone implant suspensor to correct severe ptosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results obtained using this technique were good or fair in 95.54 percent of the cases and poor in 4.46 percent of the cases. The authors discuss the results of the study and the cases in which the procedure should be indicated and highlight the advantages of the method.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The availability of this low-cost sterile device, together with the fact that it is ready to use, requires less invasive surgery, saves time, and is sufficiently versatile to allow adjustments to be made at any time, makes the silicone eyelid sling an attractive choice for correcting ptosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Therapeutic, IV.
authors.affiliation: São Paulo, Brazil From the Division of Plastic Surgery, Hospital das Clínicas, University of São Paulo Medical School.
authors.forename: Henri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Friedhofer
authors.forename: Marcelus V A S
authors.initials: MVAS
authors.lastname: Nigro
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sturtz
authors.forename: Marcus C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019882:Blepharoplasty / Q000379:methods*; D001763:Blepharoptosis / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012828:Silicones; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D012828:Silicones