Tarsal Ectropion Repair With Modified Bick Eyelid Tightening and Inverting Sutures.

Purpose: The authors report on a 10-year experience of correcting tarsal ectropion using a combined method of modified Bick eyelid tightening (MBLT) and inverting sutures.

Methods: Retrospective, interventional case series of consecutive patients with tarsal ectropion who underwent MBLT and inverting sutures by a single surgeon (RS) between July 2010 and July 2020. Thirty-four patients, 24 of whom were female, with a mean age of 81.6 years (range 59-92) were included. Eight patients had bilateral disease. All procedures were performed under local anesthesia in an office setting. Treatment success was defined by eyelid position, symptoms, and need for reoperation.

Results: Thirty-one patients (91%) had a successful outcome. Three patients (9%) had satisfactory results with improved symptoms and mild residual ectropion, for which further surgery was not required. No patients had poor results. The mean follow-up time was 4.5 months (range 3-11 months). The inverting sutures were well tolerated in all cases and none had to be removed due to ocular surface discomfort. There were no visible scars from the inverting sutures in any patient at postoperative month 3.

Conclusions: A combination of eyelid tightening using MBLT and inverting sutures is a simple and effective treatment for lower eyelid tarsal ectropion with minimal tissue dissection.