Tarsal Strip Versus Tarsal Belt in Ectropion Correction: A Statistical Evaluation

Two surgical procedures for ectropion correction are compared: the widespread "lateral tarsal strip" and the more recently introduced "tarsal belt" techniques. A retrospective interventional patient series of 40 patients with mono or bilateral ectropion are investigated.Distances of lower lid margin from interpupillary line before surgery and after 1, 6, 12, and 24 months in tarsal belt and lateral tarsal strip surgical procedure are compared. The postoperative distance is reduced in both the groups of patients, but as regard the tarsal belt the amount of correction is greater and more stable over time and this difference is statistically significant.The ideal surgical technique for ectropion's correction must be focused simultaneously on the lid and on the canthal region because it is mandatory to tight and elevate the lower lid, rotate the tarsal plate, lift the lateral canthal ligament fixing it in a sure fashion. The tarsal strip technique can result in a more vulnerability to relapse. In fact, all the lower eyelid is maintained through the little strip that is assured with a single stitch to the orbital rim periosteum.The tarsal belt technique allows a more uniform distribution of the tissue excess. The suture, with its multiple intratarsal stitches, produces a real reinforcement of the eyelid. The double passage is an added value because it is the element that assures a precise regulation of the tarsal plate rotation. Thus, the tarsal belt technique guarantees a better result over time.