Eyelid surgery outcomes in dogs and cats after tumor or defect repair

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical outcome of a modified house-inverted triangle technique for eyelid reconstruction following tumour resection or eyelid agenesis/defect in 12 dogs and six cats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A review of medical records of dogs and cats undergoing a modified house-inverted-triangle blepharoplasty, from 2018 to 2025, was undertaken. The procedure, with or without an additional sliding flap, was used for defect closure. The decision to incorporate a sliding flap depended on the defect size and the need for additional tissue to ensure a tension-free closure. Clinical outcomes were assessed on a scale from 1 to 3 - grade 1: no trichiasis, no discharge, excellent cosmesis; grade 2: mild trichiasis, mild discharge, good cosmesis; grade 3: moderate trichiasis, severe discharge, unsatisfying cosmesis. RESULTS: Fifteen cases (11 dogs, 4 cats) presented with eyelid neoplasia measuring 5 to 18 mm (9 malignant and 6 benign tumours) and one dog and two cats with a post-traumatic eyelid defect and eyelid agenesis, respectively. Following mass removal or wound debridement, the average eyelid defect measured 14.7 mm (range: 9 to 35 mm). The Burow's triangle had an average size of 7.3 mm and was routinely smaller than the initial defect. At the final examination (median 38 days, range: 9 to 923 days), 12 cases (67%) were categorised as grade 1, six cases (33%) as grade 2 and none as grade 3. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The modified house-inverted-triangle blepharoplasty is a versatile and effective technique for eyelid reconstruction, even in large or complex defects involving the medial canthus. Overall cosmetic and functional outcomes were good - excellent.