Eyelid Contour Following Conjunctival Müllerectomy With or Without Tarsectomy Blepharoptosis Repair.

PURPOSE: To quantitatively determine how accurately conjunctival Müllerectomy with or without tarsectomy (CM ± T) blepharoptosis repair restores eyelid contour. METHODS: The charts of all patients undergoing unilateral CM ± T blepharoptosis repair at the Cole Eye Institute between June 2012 and September 2014 were reviewed. Preoperative and postoperative digital images were used for eyelid contour analysis. Eyelid contour was measured according to a previously described technique measuring 13 radial mid-pupil eyelid distances (MPLDs) in pixels at 15° intervals from 0° to 180°. Eyelid contour was computed taking the ratio of the corresponding radial MPLD on either side of margin reflex distance (105/75, 120/60, 135/45, 150/30, 165/15, and 180/0) using ImageJ software (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD). Ratios were compared between the preoperative and postoperative images using paired t test with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: One hundred and six cases of unilateral CM ± T were performed during the study period and 20 cases met inclusion criteria. In the ptotic eyelid, the postoperative eyelid and the unoperated eyelid groups, the average temporal-to-nasal MPLD ratios at corresponding angles from the midline were closer to 1 from 45° to 135°. Then, further from the midline, at more obtuse angles, the temporal MPLD was greater than the nasal MPLD (i.e., the ratio was greater than 1) in all 3 groups. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in any corresponding MPLD or temporal/nasal MPLD ratio between the postoperative eyelid and the postoperative control eyelid. This technique for CM ± T blepharoptosis repair adequately restores eyelid contour.

Rotational Flap Repair of Full Thickness Eyelid Defects without a Posterior Lamellar Graft or Flap.

BACKGROUND: To determine the safety and effectiveness of full thickness eyelid reconstructions using a semicircular rotational flap without reconstructing the posterior lamella. METHODS: The charts of all patients undergoing semicircular flap closure of full thickness eyelid defects by one surgeon (JDP) at the Cole Eye Institute between March 2000 and October 2012 were reviewed. Charts were reviewed for patient demographic information, as well as for the size of the defect, the type of flap used, length of follow-up and complications. RESULTS: Fifty eyelids of 50 patients underwent a semicircular flap repair without posterior lamellar reconstruction during the study period, and 41 charts were available for review. Average patient age was 74 years (range, 40-92 years). Average follow-up was 9.8 months (range, 1-84 months). Average defect size was 19.1 mm (range, 14-30 mm, SD 4.6). Complications included pyogenic granuloma (10 patients, 24.4%), exposure keratopathy (7 patients, 17.1%) lagophthalmos (5 patients, 12.2%), ectropion (6 patients, 14.6%), lateral canthal dystopia (2 cases, 4.9%), eyelid notch (2 cases, 4.9%) and trichiasis (4 cases, 9.8%). Two patients underwent subsequent tarsorrhaphy and one patient underwent ectropion repair. There were no cases of wound dehiscence, diplopia or fornix inadequacy, and the recruited aspect of the eyelid healed well in each case. No case required reconstruction of the eyelid margin or fornix. CONCLUSIONS: Semicircular flap repair of full thickness eyelid defects without flap or graft repair of the posterior lamella results in an adequate fornix and a low rate of secondary surgery.

Dimensions and anatomic variations of the orbicularis oculi muscle in nonpreserved, fresh-frozen human cadavers.

PURPOSE: To determine average dimensions of the orbicularis oculi muscle (OOM) from the orbital rim and to investigate polymorphic variations through anatomical dissection of nonpreserved, fresh-frozen human cadavers. METHODS: The OOM was exposed using sharp and blunt dissection until its distal borders were identified. A metric ruler was used to measure the superior (S line), inferior (I line), and lateral (L line) dimensions of the OOM from the orbital rim. Data collection included age, gender, and race. Data were analyzed using 2-sample t tests, paired t tests, and mixed effect models. A p-value of ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 40 hemifaces of 20 cadavers were dissected. All specimens were Caucasian. Ten specimens were men. Average age was 73.9 years (56-92 years). The overall S line was 1.4 cm (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23-1.57), the I line was 1.2 cm (95% CI, 1.00-1.36), and the L line was 2.5 cm (95% CI, 2.27-2.68). Men had significantly larger average T, L, and S line values than women (p = 0.003, 0.005, 0.008, respectively). I lines did not differ significantly between genders (p = 0.28). CONCLUSIONS: In senescent Caucasians, the OOM extends approximately 1.4 cm superior, 1.2 cm inferior, and 2.5 cm lateral to the orbital rim. The muscle extends significantly further superiorly and laterally in Caucasian men than in women. Knowledge of the extent of the OOM should improve the understanding and the treatment of conditions affecting this region.

Intraoperative sub-tenon injection increases optic nerve length transection during enucleation.

PURPOSE: To determine the effect of sub-Tenon injection on the length of optic nerve resected during enucleation. METHODS: Case-control laboratory study on 22 orbits of 11 unpreserved, fresh-frozen human cadavers. Each cadaver underwent a conventional enucleation technique on one side and an otherwise identical technique on the contralateral side that included sub-Tenon injection of 2.5 ml normal saline in each oblique quadrant. Resected optic nerve lengths were measured and compared using Student t tests. RESULTS: The mean optic nerve length was 15.2 mm (range, 5.0-21.0 mm) in the sub-Tenon injection group and 11.3 mm (range, 5.0-19.0 mm) in control group (p = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS: Sub-Tenon injection during enucleation allows for significantly longer optic nerve resection lengths in unpreserved, fresh-frozen human cadavers.

Contrast-enhanced intraoperative optical coherence tomography.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has revolutionised clinical ophthalmology. The translation of OCT into the operating room is a natural next step given its high-resolution anatomic information. Contrast agents and enhancement have significantly improved the diagnostic capabilities of numerous imaging modalities (such as CT and MRI). The use of OCT contrast agents in ophthalmology has been generally lacking. In this report, we describe the novel application of triamcinolone as an OCT contrast agent for intraoperative OCT to improve visibility of tissue interfaces and planes (eg, posterior hyaloid insertion points). The application of this technology may have wide-ranging implications for enhanced image-guided surgery, intraoperative OCT and dynamic or functional applications of OCT technology.