A modification to the Hughes tarsoconjunctival flap for a challenging case of recurrent lower eyelid retraction

To present a modification of the Hughes tarsoconjunctival flap to correct a case of refractory lower eyelid retraction.

The authors report a 49-year-old man with cicatricial right lower eyelid retraction that failed multiple surgical interventions, including ear cartilage grafts to the posterior lamella, tarsal strip, alloplastic implant, and Sub-Orbicularis Oculi Fat (SOOF) lift. A modified Hughes tarsoconjunctival flap was used for repair of a nonmarginal defect of the lower eyelid. A marginal defect was purposely created with a full-thickness blepharotomy that compensated for the amount of lower eyelid retraction. The posterior lamellar defect was filled with the tarsoconjunctival-Muller's flap and the anterior lamella defect covered with a full-thickness retroauricular skin graft. Mueller's muscle was included in the flap to increase the vascular supply to the reconstructed eyelid. Likewise, the authors waited 9 weeks to divide the flap because of concerns that the vascular supply of the surrounding eyelid might be compromised from multiple previous surgeries.

A single case of cicatricial right lower eyelid retraction status after multiple failed surgical interventions successfully completed a full-thickness blepharotomy with a modified Hughes tarsoconjunctival flap. Two months after the procedure, the patient had good cosmesis and function with resolution of his signs and symptoms of exposure keratopathy.

The Hughes tarsoconjunctival flap combined with a full-thickness blepharotomy may be a useful technique in selected patients for repair of nonmarginal defects of the lower eyelid when other standard techniques have failed.