A comparative study of two procedures for repair of involutional lower lid entropion.

OBJECTIVE: The study compares the use of Jones' retractor plication and the Wies procedure as a primary procedure for the repair of involutional lower lid entropion in the absence of horizontal lid shortening.

DESIGN: Retrospective case series comparison.

PARTICIPANTS: One hundred two cases with at least 6 months follow-up after primary surgery for involutional lower lid entropion performed between 1993 and 1996.

INTERVENTIONS: Two groups were compared: Jones' retractor plication was performed in one group and the Wies procedure in the other; neither group had horizontal shortening of the lower eyelid.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The rates of cure, recurrence, and overcorrection of the lower lid entropion.

RESULTS: Jones' retractor plication was performed in 37 (36%) patients and the Wies procedure in 65 (64%). Two of the 37 (5%) Jones cases had recurrent entropion develop, both at 31 months after surgery, compared with 1 1 of 65 (17%) recurrences after the Wies procedure (P = 0.81); recurrence after Wies procedure was earlier, at a median of 6 months after surgery. There were 20 of 65 (31 %) overcorrections after the Wies procedure and 4 of 37 (11 %) after the Jones procedure (P < 0.02); one quarter of each group required secondary repair of the overcorrection (5 of 20 after failed Wies procedure; 25% after failed Jones procedure). Overall, there were 6 of 37 (16%) unsatisfactory results after the Jones procedure in contrast to 31 of 65 (48%) after the Wies procedure (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: These data provide strong evidence (P < 0.001) that, in the absence of horizontal shortening of the lower eyelid, a successful outcome is more likely after Jones retractor plication than after the Wies procedure.