Standardized anthropometric evaluation of ectropion repair results.
BACKGROUND
Before undergoing ectropion repair, most patients are concerned not only about the functional result, but also about their postoperative aesthetic appearance. Furthermore, there is an ongoing discussion in the literature about the influence of various surgical techniques on eyelid function and morphology. We present a photograph-assisted evaluation for preoperative planning, intraoperative estimation, and postoperative evaluation of ectropion surgery based on anthropometric measurements and clinical data.


METHODS
From January 2008 to December 2010, 36 ectropion patients underwent a lateral tarsorrhaphy or fascial sling repair. An analysis of standardized preoperative and postoperative photographs included measurements of intercanthal width, biocular width, eye fissure width, eye fissure height, lid sulcus height, upper lid height, upper iris coverage, lower iris coverage, position of cornea to palpebra inferior, canthal tilt, scleral show, and ectropion.


RESULTS
Eye fissure index (P < 0.01) and lower iris coverage (P < 0.01) were statistically significantly influenced by surgery and time. The rates of scleral show (P < 0.01) and ectropion (P < 0.01) were significantly influenced, too. The 2 applied surgical techniques, lateral tarsorrhaphy and fascial sling repair, presented no significantly different effect in the preoperative to postoperative measurements.


CONCLUSIONS
In all analyzed patients, the performed measurements were reproducible and reliable. The methods described may help to estimate the necessary extent of correction in ectropion repair surgery. Furthermore, intraoperatively performed measurements could be compared with the postoperative results.
Department of Cranio-Maxillofacial & Plastic Surgery, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Jena, Germany. raschke.gregor@googlemail.com
Gregor F
GF
Raschke
Ulrich M
UM
Rieger
Rolf-Dieter
RD
Bader
Oliver
O
Schäfer
Stefan
S
Schultze-Mosgau
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000886:Anthropometry; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004483:Ectropion / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D004954:Esthetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010781:Photography