title: Lower eyelid involutional ectropion repair with lateral tarsal strip and internal retractor reattachment with full-thickness eyelid sutures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report a novel surgical technique for lower eyelid involutional ectropion repair using a lateral tarsal strip and internal retractor reattachment procedure involving full-thickness eyelid sutures.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review was performed of patients who underwent repair of involutional ectropion via lateral tarsal strip and internal retractor reattachment with full-thickness eyelid sutures by 1 surgeon. Patients having concomitant or previous eyelid surgical procedures were excluded. Collected data included patient demographics, surgical outcomes, and length of follow up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-one lower eyelids of 31 patients with involutional ectropion underwent surgical repair. There were 17 men and 14 women in the age range of 69 to 92 years (mean age 82.2±5.9 years). Surgical sites included 22 right and 19 left lower eyelids. Follow up ranged from 1 to 48 months with an average of 5.9 months. Surgical success with anatomical correction of involutional ectropion was achieved in 39 of 41 eyelids (95.1%). There were no perioperative or postoperative complications. Two of 41 (4.9%) eyelids had recurrence of ectropion 7 and 18 months after the procedure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This procedure combining lateral tarsal strip with internal retractor reattachment involving full-thickness eyelid sutures effectively addresses horizontal eyelid laxity and tarsal instability, providing an effective technique to correct involutional ectropion of the lower eyelid.
authors.affiliation: *Private Practice, Santa Monica, California; †Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts; ‡Division of Ophthalmology, The Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island; and §Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Roya H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Ghafouri
authors.forename: Felicia D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Allard
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Migliori
authors.forename: Suzanne K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Freitag
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004483:Ectropion / Q000601:surgery*; D005143:Eyelids / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009801:Oculomotor Muscles / Q000601:surgery*; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013536:Suture Techniques; D013537:Sutures