What ectropion is
Normally the lower eyelid rests against the eyeball, and tears drain through the tear duct in the inner corner of the eye. In ectropion, the edge of the eyelid pulls away from the eye and turns outwards, exposing the red inner surface of the lid.
Symptoms
- constant watering, because tears no longer reach the drainage duct;
- a red, irritated eye with a gritty feeling;
- dryness and sensitivity to light and wind;
- repeated infections or inflammation of the conjunctiva.
Causes
- laxity of the eyelid with age, the most common cause;
- skin scarring (after burns, injuries or surgery, including blepharoplasty);
- facial nerve palsy;
- more rarely, congenital causes.
Treatment
Eye lubricants ease the symptoms but do not correct the position of the eyelid. Lasting treatment is surgical and depends on the cause: tightening and reattaching the eyelid at the outer corner of the eye or, for scar-related ectropion, releasing the scar and sometimes adding a skin graft.
The operation is usually done under local anaesthesia and takes about an hour.
Recovery
- swelling and bruising for a few days;
- eye ointment or drops, as instructed;
- stitches are removed after about a week.
Risks and things to know
- under-correction or recurrence;
- asymmetry;
- infection, which is rare.
Results vary from one patient to another.
