Objective: to present a surgical technique for treating patients with recurrent ectropion and severe lower eyelid laxity.
Methods: Lateral tarsal strip and canthal fixation by osteotomy was performed in 6 patients with recurrent ectropion and 1 patient with extreme lower eyelid laxity secondary to an anophthalmic socket. Preoperative and postoperative photographs were evaluated in order to assess the outcomes of the procedure. Patients were followed up 4 weeks, 6 months, 12 months and 24 months of the postoperative period. The initial symptoms of the patients were eye redness, epiphora, foreign body sensation, aesthetic complaints, and facial asymmetry. Symptoms and aesthetic results were assessed by questioning, photographs, and fluorescein and lissamine green stains taken in each visit.
Results: No postoperative complications were observed. No recurrence episodes were reported during the follow-up period and physical appearance improvement and symptom severity reduction were maintained during the observation.
Conclusion: Lateral tarsal strip through osteotomies is an effective surgical procedure for treating severe recurrent ectropion cases or lower eyelid laxity and could be considered as an alternative treatment option or even a primary surgical technique in selected difficult cases.
Keywords: canthal fixation; ectropion; lateral tarsal strip; osteotomy.