Application of tissue expansion in repair of eyelid defects:a report of 21 cases / 解放军医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the clinical technique and curative effect of tissue expansion in repairing soft tissue defects of eyelid.Methods Repair of eyelid defects with tissue expansion was performed in 21 patients(21 eyes)from Apr.2004 to Apr.2009,in whom there were 9 males and 12 females,aged 6-48 years(mean 29),in a course of 6 months to 23 years.Twelve defects were in upper eyelid and 9 in lower eyelid.The areas of eyelid scars ranged from 5mm?20mm to 30mm?50mm,and 10 patients were with ectropion of eyelid due to cicatrical contraction.Tissue expanders sized 30-100ml were implanted beneath the normal skin adjacent to lesions of eyelids,and normal saline solution was periodically injected for 3 to 4 months to slowly expand the overlying skin.Then the expanders were removed,and different sizes of adjacent expanded skin flaps were used with rotation to repair the eyelid defects and restore normal position of palpebral margins.Results Satisfactory wound healing was obtained in all the 21 patients with no complication.Sixteen patients were followed-up for 1 to 16 months(mean 10 months),in them the expanded flap survived nicely with acceptable cosmetic result,and the postoperative scar was not conspicuous.No recurrence of ectropion occurred except one with mild ectropion due to termination of expanding treatment by the patient.Conclusion Tissue expansion technique is a reconstructive option for eyelid defects.