Lateral Canthoplasty Reconstruction: A Case Study 1 Week Post-Op

Lateral Canthoplasty Reconstruction: A Case Study 1 Week Post-Op

It is true that I have been a bit negligent with blog postings lately due to preparing for academic conferences, writing textbooks, and drafting research papers.

Nevertheless, after a long hiatus, I would like to write about a recent patient’s lateral canthoplasty reconstruction case.

When a lateral canthoplasty is over-extended, the outer corner of the eye often takes on a ‘U-shaped’ or ‘C-shaped’ appearance, and the mucosa becomes exposed.

In such cases, a secondary reconstruction surgery is performed. To prevent recurrence, the scarred mucosal tissue must be removed, and the lateral canthal tendon must be securely anchored to the lateral orbital periosteum.

The lateral canthal tendon is a ligament attached to the lower eyelid that supports the eye from both sides and assists in closing the eye. During a primary lateral canthoplasty, if the lateral canthal tendon is manipulated excessively, it can become detached from the periosteum, resulting in that ‘U-shaped’ deformity.

Therefore, the core of the surgery is to cleanly excise the scar tissue, reposition the detached lateral canthal tendon to its original location, ensure it does not recur, and make the incision scars as inconspicuous as possible.

Before Surgery, 1 Week Post-Op

Before Surgery, 1 Week Post-Op

The most common concern people have is asking whether the eyes will become smaller after the surgery.

Of course, if someone with an excessively over-opened corner closes it significantly, the eye may appear slightly smaller; however, for those where only the scar tissue was excessively exposed, the eye size does not decrease.

Although the marks from the suture removal are currently red, they will become almost invisible over time.

Please also refer to the blog post I uploaded last year for more information.

https://blog.naver.com/medicdoctor/221988658490