What is Ectropion Repair
Ectropion repair is a surgical procedure to tighten and shorten a sagging lower eyelid. Ectropion is a condition that causes your lower eyelid to weaken and sag away from its normal position against your eyeball.
This can happen with age as the skin and muscle tone of your face become less tight. Ectropion can also result from sagging or excessive skin on your eyelids, scarring, or certain skin diseases.
Tell a health care provider about:
- Any allergies you have.
- All medicines you are taking, including vitamins, herbs, eye drops, creams, and over-the-counter medicines.
- Any problems you or family members have had with anesthetic medicines.
- Any blood disorders you have.
- Any surgeries you have had.
- Any medical conditions you have.
What are the risks?
Generally, this is a safe procedure. However, problems can occur and include:
- Bruising and swelling of your lower eye area.
- Bleeding.
- Infection.
What happens before the procedure?
- Ask
your health care provider about:
- Changing or stopping your regular medicines. This is especially important if you are taking diabetes medicines or blood thinners.
- Taking medicines such as aspirin and ibuprofen. These medicines can thin your blood.Do nottake these medicines before your procedure if your health care provider instructs you not to.
- Do noteat or drink anything after midnight on the night before the procedure or as directed by your health care provider.
- Plan to have someone take you home after the procedure.
What happens during the procedure?
- An IV tube may be inserted into a vein.
- A medicine that numbs the area (local anesthetic) will be injected into your lower eyelid with a tiny needle. You may also be given a medicine to make you relax (sedative).
- The surgeon will remove a small wedge of your lower eyelid near the corner of your eye.
- The edges where the wedge was removed will be sewn together with tiny stitches (sutures). This will shorten and tighten your lower eyelid.
- If your ectropion is caused by scar tissue, you may need a skin graft to fill any gaps in your lower lid after the scar tissue is removed. This graft may be taken from your upper eyelid or from behind your ear.
- Antibiotic eye ointment will be applied over your incision and in your eye.
- Your eye will be covered with an eye patch.
What happens after the procedure?
- You may spend some time in a recovery area.
- Your blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate, and blood oxygen level will be monitored often until the medicines you were given have worn off.
- You will need to wear your eye patch as directed by your health care provider.
- Your health care provider will also give you instructions for using eye ointment.
Ectropion Repair, Care After
Refer to this sheet in the next few weeks. These instructions provide you with information about caring for yourself after your procedure. Your health care provider may also give you more specific instructions. Your treatment has been planned according to current medical practices, but problems sometimes occur. Call your health care provider if you have any problems or questions after your procedure.
What can I expect after the procedure?
After your procedure, it is typical to have the following:
- Pain.
- Bruising.
- Swelling.
Follow these instructions at home:
- Wear your eye patch as directed by your health care provider.
- Take medicines only as directed by your health care provider. Use eye ointment as directed.
- Apply
ice to the eye area as needed to relieve swelling:
- Put ice in a plastic bag.
- Place a towel between your skin and the bag.
- Leave the ice on for 20 minutes, 2–3 times per day.
- Keep all follow-up visits as directed by your health care provider. This is important.
Contact a health care provider if:
- You have yellowish-white fluid (pus) leaking from your incision.
- Your eye becomes red and inflamed.
- The edges of your incision break open after the stitches (sutures) have been removed.
- It feels like there is something in your eye after surgery.
- You have a fever.
