Purpose: To evaluate changes in astigmatism after corrective surgery in highly astigmatic epiblepharon patients compared with nonepiblepharon patients.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 37 patients with epiblepharon and 35 patients without epiblepharon, but with initial astigmatism > or =2 D. Demographic data and preoperative data for best-corrected visual acuity, degree of astigmatism, and astigmatism axis were obtained. Postoperative data were collected at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months and at 2 years.
Results: The mean age at surgery was 5.1 +/- 1.5 years. The mean amount of cylinder was 3.27 +/- 0.97 D before surgery and 2.62 +/- 1.07 D at 2 years after surgery. Linear mixed measures analysis, which was used to compare the mean cylinder between the epiblepharon and nonepiblepharon groups, showed significant group-time interaction (p < 0.01). Patients who were younger and had greater initial cylinder showed significantly greater decreases in the cylinder during 2 years of follow-up (p < 0.05).
Conclusions: Significant astigmatic changes were found after surgical correction in epiblepharon patients with 2 D of astigmatism or greater compared with nonepiblepharon patients, and these changes were more significant in patients of younger age and with greater astigmatism. A high prevalence of epiblepharon during the critical period for visual development warrants physician interest in early surgery and visual rehabilitation in highly astigmatic epiblepharon patients.