Decellularized porcine derived membrane (Tarsys®) for correction of lower eyelid retraction

Retraction of the lower eyelid can be consequence of medical and surgical conditions. Various kinds of allotransplants and biomaterial have been used to correct it; we report on the surgical correction of lower lid retraction with a decellularized porcine derived membrane (Tarsys(®)). A 49-year-old patient with a history of adenoid cystic carcinoma in the pterygo-palatine fossa, requiring extensive surgery and repeated radiotherapy, presented with 6 mm lagophthalmus and exposure keratopathy secondary to facial nerve palsy. The lower lid malposition was corrected with a Tarsys(®) implant. Three months after surgery no lagophthalmos was present and substantial relief of signs and symptoms of ocular surface disease and good symmetry between right and left eye was achieved. If general condition or morbidity in potential donor sites hamper harvesting autologous graft material to support the lower lid, bioengineered xenografts can be used successfully to correct eyelid malpositions such as lower lid retraction.