Purpose: To examine relationships between intraoperative and postoperative eyelid heights in relation to patient postures in blepharoptosis surgery.
Methods: Thirty eyelids in 15 patients with bilateral aponeurotic ptosis were selected. The margin reflex distance-1 (MRD-1) was measured with the patients in the sitting position preoperatively, intraoperatively, and in the postoperative 6 weeks. MRD-1 also was measured intraoperatively with patients in the supine position. The intraoperative sitting and supine values and the postoperative values were statistically compared using a paired t test, and lateralities in those groups were statistically analyzed using Student's t test.
Results: From the intraoperative measurements, mean MRD-1 values in the sitting position (right: 3.80 mm, left: 3.73 mm) were significantly lower than those in the supine position (right: 4.37 mm, p < 0.001; left: 4.33 mm, p < 0.001). In the postoperative 6 weeks, mean MRD-1 values (right: 3.80 mm, left: 3.63 mm) were not significantly different from intraoperative values in the sitting position (right: p = 1.000, left: p = 0.189), but were significantly lower than intraoperative values in the supine position (right: p < 0.001, left: p < 0.001). There was no significant laterality among the three groups (supine intraoperative: p = 0.890, sitting intraoperative: p = 0.785, postoperative: p = 0.546).
Conclusion: Intraoperative measurements in the sitting position more accurately predicted postoperative eyelid height than did measurements with the patient in a supine position.