Ectropion

Diagnosis

Ectropion can usually be diagnosed with a routine eye exam, physical and an exam of the tissues surrounding the affected eye. Also, you'll be asked about any history of eye injury, eyelid surgery or other medical conditions.

Your healthcare professional will likely:

• Examine the eyelid with a magnifying device.
• Pull on your eyelid to see how well it returns to its at-rest state.
• Ask you to open and close your eyes while observing you.
• Ask you to look up and open your mouth, which may reveal more drooping of the eyelid.
• Test the strength of your face muscles.

Treatment

Surgery is usually needed to treat ectropion. Eye ointments available with or without a prescription, as well as artificial tears, can give you short-term relief from symptoms. The eyelids may be temporarily taped closed while you wait for surgery.

Surgery

The type of surgery you have depends on the condition of the tissue surrounding your eyelid and on the cause of your ectropion. In general, surgery may include:

• Shortening the length of the eyelid.
• Removing parts of muscles and tendons to tighten them.
• Using skin grafts from the upper eyelid or behind the ear if tissues of the lower eyelid are scarred or damaged.

Before surgery, you'll receive a local anesthetic to numb your eyelid and the area around it. You may take a medicine to help you relax.

After surgery you may be asked to:

• Wear an eye patch for 24 hours.
• Use an antibiotic and steroid ointment on your eye.
• Use cold compresses to lessen bruising and swelling.
• Limit your activities for the first week.
• Avoid rubbing your eyes.
• Avoid wearing contact lenses for two weeks.

Preparing for your appointment

If you have signs and symptoms of ectropion, you'll start by seeing your primary healthcare professional. You may be referred to a doctor who specializes in treating eye conditions called an ophthalmologist.

Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment.

What you can do

Before your appointment take these steps:

• List symptoms you've been having, including those that may not be related to your eyes or eyelids.
• Find a photo of yourself before the appearance of your eyelid changed and bring this to your appointment.
• List all medicines, vitamins and supplements you take, as well as the doses and the reason for taking each one.
• List key personal and medical information, including other conditions, recent life changes and stressors.
• List questions to ask your healthcare professional.

Ask a relative or friend to go with you to the appointment to take notes.

Questions you might ask your healthcare professional include:

• What's the most likely cause of my condition?
• Is there a risk to my vision?
• What treatments do you recommend?
• What are the risks of surgery?
• I have these other health conditions. How can I best manage them together?
• Do you have any brochures or other printed material that I can take with me? What websites do you recommend?

What to expect from your doctor

Your healthcare professional is likely to ask you a number of questions, such as:

• When did your symptoms begin?
• Have your symptoms been constant, or do they come and go?
• Have you had any previous surgery or procedures on your eye or eyelid?
• Have you had any other eye problems, such as an eye infection or an injury?
• Have you had skin cancer or other skin conditions on your face?
• Are you using any eyedrops?