Cicatricial ectropion following blepharoplasty: treatment by tissue expansion.

We describe the first use of the tissue expansion principle in oculoplastic surgery. In a patient with cicatricial ectropion a specially designed tissue expander and reservoir were implanted into a subcutaneous pocket, then the reservoir was filled percutaneously with normal saline until the overlying skin was firm. Saline was injected into the reservoir weekly thereafter. Three weeks following placement the unit was removed; the cicatricial ectropion no longer existed. A week later the patient's ocular symptoms had resolved. The potential for tissue expansion in oculoplastic surgery is exciting.