[Plastic surgery on the lower eyelid destroyed by a bear's paw]

We present a primary plastic surgery in a rare case of traumatic destruction of an inferior eyelid--it was torn by a bear paw.

A 64 years old bear-trainer with almost completely torn inferior eyelid was accepted in the clinic for treatment. The trauma was caused by a circus bear while he was taken out from the cage. During the examination we found the eyelid almost completely torn, extremely deformed, strained, smashed and hanging from the outer eyelid corner area. Under the operational microscope we performed primary plastic operation.

The postoperative period was calm, a good adaptation of the wound surfaces, anatomic rehabilitation, fine cosmetic effect and eye ball preservation were reached.

The presented case is interesting with the cause of the trauma. Despite the hard eye lid destruction the modern microsurgical techniques allowed us to attain good repositioning and good cosmetic effect. We provided defending holding of the eyeball and especially of the cornea and thus we saved them from serious complications.