Reconstruction of Lower Eyelid with Nasolabial Flap for Anterior Lamella and Turnover Flap for Posterior Lamella

Abstract

Reconstruction of full-thickness eyelid defects is done to provide a mobile lid with corneal protection, having good aesthetic quality, and acceptable donor site morbidity. Various flap procedures have been described and used for the lower eyelid reconstruction; however, the nasolabial flap is rarely employed. It is a random pattern cutaneous flap with redundant blood supply from the perforating branches of the facial and angular arteries and can be used as an inferiorly or superiorly based flap. Here, we aim to present the clinical results of using the superiorly based nasolabial island flap for reconstruction of anterior lamella and turnover/hinge flap of infraorbital skin and palpebral conjunctiva with support of conchal cartilage for reconstruction of posterior lamella for lower eyelid defect. To our best knowledge, this reconstructive combination of flaps has not been described previously for total and full-thickness posttraumatic defect of lower eyelid.

Keywords

• eyelid defects
• nasolabial flap
• turnover flap