Purpose: To investigate the etiology and the treatment of acquired blepharoptosis inpatients, especially secondary to surgery.
Methods: The clinical records of 65 consecutive patients with acquired ptosis were reviewed from an eye center and a comprehensive hospital. Potential factors responsible for acquired ptosis were investigated. Surgical management principles and post-operative exposure keratitis are discussed.
Results: The top three causes of acquired ptosis were postsurgical ptosis (20/65, 30.8%), traumatic ptosis (17/65, 26.2%) and senile aponeurotic ptosis (12/65, 18.5%). Twenty patients had post-surgical ptosis secondary to orbital surgery (8/20, 40.0%), enucleation and hydroxyapatite (HA) artificial eye implantation (4/20, 20%), eyelid surgery (3/20, 15%), cataract or glaucoma surgery (2/20, 10%), conjunctive surgery (2/20, 10%) and superior oblique muscle surgery (1/20, 5%). The levator palpebrae superioris (LPS) muscle of ten eyes (10/20, 50%) was found during exploration and reattached to the tarsal plate, with shortening of the LPS. Nine eyes (9/20, 45%) underwent a frontalis suspension (FS) operation because the LPS muscle was missing. One(1/20, 5%) patient was not operated on due to a poor Bell's phenomenon. Two patients (2/65, 3.1%)--one patient with post-surgical ptosis and another with aponeurotic ptosis--developed exposure keratitis after ptosis correction.
Conclusion: Post-surgical ptosis is one of the most common causes of acquired ptosis. It is important to explore LPS muscle during surgery. LPS reattachment is performed if the muscle is found; otherwise, a FS operation is chosen. Exposure keratitis after correction should be monitored.