Results of blepharoptosis surgery with early postoperative adjustment

The authors reviewed 157 cases (207 eyes) of blepharoptosis corrected by external levator resection. Twenty-eight patients (29 eyelids) had unsatisfactory results. The authors adjusted 13 eyelids within 1 week of surgery. Eleven eyelids were reoperated 6 or more weeks after surgery. The mean delay between the initial and final surgery in the early group was 2.0 weeks; and, for the late group, 33.5 weeks. For those having reoperations, there was no difference in the number of procedures required to achieve satisfactory outcomes. Four patients (5 eyelids) with unsatisfactory results were offered, but declined, late repair. Early or late reoperation is effective in correcting unsatisfactory results after external levator resection. The benefits of early surgery are a reduction in time to final result, the ease with which it is performed, potential cost savings, and the opportunity one has to correct unsatisfactory results.