Correction of epiblepharon of the upper eyelid by the buried suture technique: correlation with morphological features of the upper eyelid.

Abstract

Aims: To investigate the correlation between morphological features of the upper eyelid and surgical results of the correction of epiblepharon by the buried suture technique. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted from March 2001 to June 2005. One hundred and one patients (202 eyes) with upper eyelid epiblepharon were enrolled in this study. Surgical amount, lid thickness and height of the tarsal plate were measured. Eighty-four cases with epiblepharon were corrected by full-thickness buried sutures with 6/0 Vicryl, and 118 cases with epiblepharon were corrected by full-thickness buried sutures with 6/0 Prolene. They were followed up for a minimum of 9 months. Results: The skin crease of the upper eyelid disappeared in 18 eyes of 9 patients (8.9%). Eight patients were free from lash-cornea touch, and 1 recurrent case underwent successful reoperation. Clinical factors such as sex, age, suture material, and amount of surgery did not have an effect on the rate of recurrence. However, the thickness of lateral eyelid and height of the tarsal plate significantly contributed to the recurrence of upper eyelid epiblepharon. Conclusion: Upper eyelid thickness and height of the tarsal plate are considered as valuable factors to predict the result of the correction of upper eyelid epiblepharon by the buried suture technique