Retraction Repair Patient 38

Oasis Eye Face and Skin | Ashland, Medford, Grants Pass, Oregon

Featured here is a 65-year-old woman who came to see Dr. Schiedler after hearing about her from a friend. She had experienced two years of eye pain and discomfort after a malignant melanoma had been removed from her cheek and lower lid area. The initial surgery to remove the skin cancer had fortunately removed it in time before it had spread to other areas of her body, but unfortunately left her with a disfigured and painful dry eye condition called cicatricial eyelid retraction. Missing eyelid tissues and scar tissue had shortened and overtightened the lower lid and pulled it away from her eye.

The first surgery was not done by an oculoplastic surgeon, such as Dr. Schiedler, who have special fellowship training in eyelid reconstruction to avoid this type of complication. The plastic surgeon who performed the first surgery had tried to repair the eyelid and had the patient doing massage, but these interventions were not enough to significantly improve her condition. Dr. Schiedler released the scar tissue, tightened the horizontal stretchiness, or laxity, of the eyelid, repaired the disjointed outer corner of the eye, and added additional skin to the lower eyelid from the upper eyelid. The patient was extremely thankful and pleased with the improvement in her appearance and overall comfort.