The Effect of Lower Eyelid Malposition Repair on Palpebral Fissure Size Changes

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of changes in the horizontal and vertical palpebral fissure dimensions on surgical success performed due to entropion and ectropion of the lower eyelid. METHODS: The present research was conducted as a retrospective and interventional case series who had undergone involutional lower eyelid malposition repair with a lateral tarsal strip (LTS) alone, LTS with a medial spindle, and LTS with the advancement of the lower eyelid retractors. The subjects’ medical records, including demographic and clinic characteristics, pre-operative assessment of horizontal eyelid laxity, and surgical outcomes, were reviewed. The distance between the pupillary light reflex and the lower-eyelid margin marginal reflex distance 2 (MRD-2) and the horizontal palpebral aperture (HPA) width were measured using the Image J program in the pre-operative and post-operative 6-month follow-up. The correlation between surgical success, changes in pre-operative and post-operative MRD-2, and HPA width was assessed by the Spearman rank correlation test. RESULTS: A total of 66 eyelids of 48 patients were included in the study. This cohort comprised of 41 males (86.4%) and 7 females (13.6%), 18 of whom underwent bilateral surgery. The pre-operative mean MRD-2 was 7.13 ± 1.98 mm, and the post-operative 6-month mean MRD-2 was 6.21±1.19 mm (p<0.01). The mean post-operative HPA width was statistically significantly higher in comparison with the mean pre-operative HPA width (27.35±2.41, 26.89±2.39, p=0.02, respectively). There was no correlation between success rate and changes in horizontal and vertical palpebral fissure dimensions. CONCLUSION: LTS surgery is a method that turns the shortened HPA width to normal and enables the successful correction of the lower eyelid malpositions.