Today's post is on lower lid ectropion.
It is one of the more serious complications of lower blepharoplasty.
It develops as a complication of lower-lid fat surgery.
Patients describe it as the lower lid appearing pulled inside-out.
It happens when scar contracture pulls the lid downward, or when too much skin has been excised.
There are several ways to correct this. The lateral canthal anchor needs to be re-tightened, and the underlying scar tethering must be released cleanly.
Recurrence is common, so the operation should be done by an experienced surgeon.
In some cases, a dermal graft taken from the buttock or groin is inserted into the scarred area, and lateral canthal fixation can be reinforced through a bony tunnel at the lateral orbital rim.
We generally consider the result successful if the correction holds at six months out.
Surgical time is typically about an hour.