Posterior lamellar eyelid reconstruction with a hard palate mucosal graft

A graft of hard palate mucosa is a satisfactory substitute for the posterior lamella of tarsus and conjunctiva in eyelid reconstruction. The graft may be harvested after administration of local anesthesia in adults, provides structural support as well as a mucosal surface, and contracts minimally. The palatal donor site heals with a minimum of postoperative care. Results in four eyelids with severe cicatricial entropion were satisfactory. The only observed complication was apparent partial keratinization of one graft in a patient with Stevens-Johnson syndrome.