The treatment of recurrent trichiasis with argon laser photocoagulation

We report our experience with the use of Argon laser photocoagulation for the treatment of recurrent trichiasis. A total of 28 lids (of 21 patients) with aberrant lashes were treated in our study. Each lash was treated with a beam of 50-200 micron (spot size), 0.2 s (time), and 1-1.2 Watt (power). Neither infiltration nor topical anaesthesia was used. The mean follow-up time was 6.57 months. Successful treatment with no evidence of recurrence was achieved in 67.9% of lids after one to two laser sessions. The remaining 32.1% of the lids required three to four sessions to achieve no recurrence of the condition. There was a significant correlation between the number of aberrant lashes per lid and the number of required laser sessions. Complete healing of the treated areas occurred within six weeks after treatment, with no vascularisation or distortion of the lid margin. Argon laser treatment appears to be a safe and effective alternative to the other recognised methods of therapy in selected cases.