Long-term results of autogenous palmaris longus frontalis sling in children with congenital ptosis.

PURPOSE: To investigate the long-term outcome of using autogenous palmaris longus tendon (PLT) sling for correcting congenital ptosis in children.

METHODS

This is an observational case series involving 15 eyelids of 14 consecutive children with congenital ptosis who underwent frontalis suspension surgery using PLT in a university teaching hospital.

RESULTS

One child had bilateral ptosis and the other children had unilateral ptosis. The age of patients at the time of surgery ranged from 2 to 7 years, with an average of 4.7 years. At a mean follow-up of 92 months (range, 80-104 months), all eyelids were successfully corrected with good lid height. No recurrence or other postoperative complications were encountered except one patient who developed a small skin fold over the PLT harvest site.

CONCLUSION

Long-term lid position is remarkably stable after surgical correction using PLT. PLT sling appears to be a safe and effective treatment for children with congenital ptosis requiring frontalis sling operation. It could be a good alternative to autogenous fascia lata, and further studies, to compare these two sling materials seem warranted.