Eyelids are frequently affected during trauma to the face, creating cosmetic or functional problems. The eye and tear systems can be damaged during lid trauma. In this case, it is very important to examine and repair these structures during valve repair. If the damage caused by valve trauma is repaired within the first 48 hours, a much more effective success is achieved compared to the repair in the late period. For this reason, it is very important to evaluate such injuries by oculoplastic surgeons who are familiar with eye, tear ducts and lid anatomy and physiology. Inappropriate repair requires additional surgical treatments for loss of visual function and tearing in the eye. Tissues such as skin, oral mucosa and hard palate may be needed for correction surgeries performed in the late period, permanent or temporary tubes can be used for the treatment of tear ducts.
Dr. The 3 most frequently asked questions to Onur Konuk about valve traumas and reconstruction:
1. After a previous eyelid trauma, my eyes stay open at night. Is there a cure for this?
The upper eyelid has the task of opening and closing. This situation can be observed after trauma to the muscles that open and close the valve, loss of valve tissue or improper correction and improper wound healing. Valve surgery is often required for this condition. In some mild cases, artificial tear drops and gels may be sufficient. During surgery, the location and deformation methods of their own valve structures can be used, as well as tissues taken from other places such as skin, hard palate, oral mucosa, ear cartilage can be used during surgery.
2. I had surgery on my eyelid after trauma before. My eyes are constantly watering right now. What could be the reason for this?
There are two main causes of eye watering. The first is the excess production of tears, the second is that the tear outlets are closed. In the repair performed after eyelid trauma, watering may occur due to increased tear production due to reasons such as the turning of the eyelash edge to the eye surface, which will cause stinging, and the presence of stitches on the lid. However, tear drainage problems may occur as a result of non-repair or improper repair of tear ducts, which are more frequently damaged simultaneously during lid trauma. In this case, it is necessary to remove structures such as eyelashes and sutures that disturb the eye surface and cause excessive eye formation, or to apply surgical treatment due to obstruction of the tear ducts.
3. I lost my eye with lid trauma. Can removable eye prosthesis surgery be combined with lid repair?
Serious eye traumas leading to permanent vision loss can be observed with lid trauma. In such cases, both the lid and the appearance of the eye can cause social problems cosmetically. In this case, simultaneous repair of the lid and eye socket can be surgically corrected. At this stage, mobile eye prosthesis surgery can be performed according to the condition of the existing eye tissues.