1. The Cutler-Beard flap for upper eyelid reconstruction: Surgical indications revisited.
- Author
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Franzolin E, Quaranta Leoni F, and Quaranta Leoni FM
- Subjects
- Humans, Female, Male, Aged, Middle Aged, Retrospective Studies, Adult, Aged, 80 and over, Follow-Up Studies, Plastic Surgery Procedures methods, Carcinoma, Basal Cell surgery, Patient Satisfaction, Eyelid Neoplasms surgery, Surgical Flaps, Blepharoplasty methods, Eyelids surgery
- Abstract
Purpose: To present the long-term outcome of the Cutler-Beard two-stage technique in patients with large full-thickness upper eyelid defects after tumor excision., Methods: The medical records of 24 patients with large full-thickness upper eyelid defects reconstructed with the Cutler-Beard technique from January 2000 to January 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. All the defects involved ≥ 60% of the horizontal length of the upper eyelid and extended vertically for at least 15 mm from the eyelid margin. Patients with follow-up < 24 months were excluded. Long-term postoperative complications, functional outcome, and patient's satisfaction at the end of the follow-up were evaluated., Results: Patients' age ranged from 36 to 88 (mean 66.0 ± 10.7 years) and 58.3% were females. Seven patients (29.2%) had had previous eyelid surgeries. The most common diagnosis was basal cell carcinoma (62.5%), followed by sebaceous gland carcinoma (12.5%), squamous cell carcinoma (8.3%), and Merkel cell carcinoma (8.3%). The mean duration of follow-up was 53.0 ± 16.9 months. Eleven patients (45.8%) developed upper eyelid entropion: 9 were treated conservatively with a therapeutic contact lens, 2 patients required a third operating stage. Most patients achieved a satisfactory functional and aesthetical outcome at the end of the follow-up., Conclusions: Although non-bridging techniques are usually favored to reconstruct large upper eyelid defects, the Cutler-Beard bridge flap is a valuable technique in case of large horizontal defects where the vertical gap is greater than 15 mm. Further surgical steps are rarely necessary; however, alternative techniques should be considered following excision of highly malignant tumors., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
- Published
- 2024
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