Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Restoration of function following traumatic superior eyelid avulsion in a horse treated with advancement flap blepharoplasty (H-plasty) and subdermal hyaluronic acid filler.
- Journal:
- Veterinary ophthalmology
- Year:
- 2024
- Authors:
- Lamkin, Irini et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Clinical Sciences · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 21-year-old American Paint Horse stallion suffered a serious injury when he was attacked by another stallion, resulting in about 75% of his left upper eyelid being torn away. To treat this, veterinarians sedated him and performed surgery to clean the wound and reconstruct the eyelid using a technique called advancement flap blepharoplasty, along with a temporary stitch to keep the eyelid closed. Although the eyelid initially had trouble closing completely, the veterinarians injected a special filler under the skin of the eyelid two and four weeks after surgery to help improve its function. By eight weeks after the surgery, the horse was able to blink completely, and the appearance of the eyelid was good. Overall, the treatment was successful in restoring the horse's eyelid function and comfort.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe the successful restoration of superior eyelid function in a horse following traumatic avulsion using an advancement flap blepharoplasty and subdermal hyaluronic acid filler. ANIMAL STUDIED: A 21-year-old American Paint Horse stallion who was attacked by a fellow stallion resulting in numerous traumatic injuries including avulsion of approximately 75% of the left superior eyelid. PROCEDURES: With standing sedation and locoregional anesthesia, the superior eyelid wound was debrided and an advancement flap blepharoplasty (H-plasty) and temporary tarsorrhaphy were performed. Routine healing of the surgical site occurred over the subsequent weeks, though lagophthalmos persisted. At 2 and 4 weeks post-operatively, 2.4% cross-linked hyaluronic acid was injected subdermally into the superior eyelid to attempt to improve corneal coverage. At 8 weeks post-operatively, a complete blink was restored and the cosmetic outcome was good. CONCLUSIONS: Injection of subdermal hyaluronic acid filler following eyelid injuries or blepharoplastic procedures that result in lagophthalmos can improve corneal coverage by the eyelids and allow for maintenance of a comfortable and visual eye.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37335902/