Lamellar rotation surgery: a new procedure for repairing upper eyelid defects

BACKGROUND: To report “Lamellar Rotation Surgery”,a new technique for repairing large and moderate full-thickness upper eyelid defects. METHODS: A two-stage technique is described in which a vertical incision is made in the tarsus of the lower eyelid with elevation of the lateral posterior lamella while sparing the lower eyelid orbicularis and skin to be rotated superiorly to form the reconstructed posterior lamella of the upper eyelid. Additionally, a lateral periosteal flap is used to reconstruct the lateral canthal tendon, and a McGregor procedure is used to reconstruct the anterior lamella of the upper eyelid. The flap is divided during a second-stage surgery at 3 months. Three cases are described to showcase this technique. RESULTS: Good functional and aesthetic results were achieved for the eyelids. CONCLUSIONS: This new procedure may help to address the challenge of repairing full-thickness defects of the upper eyelid. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registration number: ChiCTR1800018990, 20 Oct 2018, retrospectively registered. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s12886-018-0958-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.