Frontalis Suspension Surgery in Upper Eyelid Blepharoptosis

Frontalis suspension is a commonly used surgery that is indicated in patients with blepharoptosis and poor levator muscle function. The surgery is based on connecting the tarsal plate to the eyebrow with various sling materials. Although fascia lata is most commonly used due to its long-lasting effect and low rate of complications, it has several limitations such as difficulty of harvesting, insufficient amounts in small children, and postoperative donor-site complications. Other sling materials have overcome these limitations, but on the other hand, have been reported to be associated with other complications. In this review we focus on the different techniques and materials which are used in frontalis suspension surgeries, as well as the advantage and disadvantage of these techniques

Eyelash inversion in epiblepharon: Is it caused by redundant skin?

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of redundant lower eyelid skin on the eyelash direction in epiblepharon. Materials and methods: Asian patients with epiblepharon participated in this study. The lower eyelid skin was pulled downward in the upright position with the extent just to detach from eyelash roots, and the direction of the eyelashes was examined. These evaluations were repeated before surgery while the patients were lying supine under general anesthesia. Results: The study included 41 lower eyelids of 25 patients (17 females, 8 males, average age; 5.6 years, 16 cases bilateral, 9 unilateral). In the upright position, without downward traction of the skin, the eyelashes were vertically positioned and touching the cornea. The redundant skin touched only the eyelash roots and had minimal contribution to eyelash inversion. With downward skin traction, there was no signifi cant change in the eyelash direction. In the spine position, the eyelashes were touching the cornea, and there was marked redundant skin that was pushing the eyelashes inward. With downward skin traction, there was no significant change. Conclusions: The direction of lower eyelashes in patients with epiblepharon was less infl uenced by lower eyelid skin redundancy than previously considered. The redundant skin is only a possible aggravating factor to epiblepharon.Hirohiko Kakizaki, Igal Leibovitch,Yasuhiro Takahashi and Dinesh Selv

Inferior displacement of the lower eyelid during intraoperative quantification in blepharoptosis surgery

Hirohiko Kakizaki, Yasuhiro Takahashi, Masahiro Zako, Masayoshi IwakiDepartment of Ophthalmology, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Aichi, JapanPurpose: To examine inferior displacement of the lower eyelid during eye closing in intraoperative quantification of blepharoptosis surgery.Methods: A series of lower eyelid movements during eye closing in intraoperative quantification of blepharoptosis surgery were examined in 30 eyelids of 15 patients (6 males and 9 females; mean age 70.0 years; range 43–81 years) with bilateral aponeurotic blepharoptosis.Results: Inferior displacement of the lower eyelid was observed in all eyelids examined, although the extent varied in each patient (range 2.0–4.5 mm; mean 3.2 mm). Inferior displacement occurred with upward eye movement caused by Bell's phenomenon. Many wrinkles were simultaneously observed as a result of contraction of the orbicularis oculi muscle. After maintaining the inferiorly displaced state for several seconds, 20 lower eyelids in 10 patients naturally moved superiorly to a resting position. On the other hand, 10 lower eyelids in 5 patients remained in the same inferior position for more than 5 seconds, after which we had to manually elevate them to a resting position. The eyes then moved inferiorly to their resting position with a decrease in the number of lower eyelid wrinkles. Once the patients opened their eyes, inferior displacement of the lower eyelid completely disappeared.Conclusions: Inferior displacement of the lower eyelid during eye closing increases the amount of lagophthalmos. This phenomenon needs to be considered for quantifying the intraoperative lagophthalmos level during blepharoptosis surgery.Keywords: blepharoptosis surgery, eye closing, inferior displacement, intraoperative quantification, lower eyelid&nbsp

Absence of lateral palpebral raphe in Caucasians

Classical anatomical teaching reports the presence of the lateral palpebral raphe formed at the union in the preseptal and orbital parts of the orbicularis oculi muscle, or by the tendon adhering these to the underlying zygomatic bone. The lateral palpebral raphe has been shown to be absent in Asian cadavers. The current study uses both evidence from the anatomical dissection of five eyelids from three Caucasian cadavers, and histological assessment of the lateral canthus of 13 eyelids from seven Caucasian cadavers to illustrate the absence of the lateral palpebral raphe in Caucasian population