Ectropion at
The Eye Care & Surgery Center in New Jersey

The lower eyelid has several important functions. It maintains contact with the surface of the eyeball, thereby protecting the inferior surface. It holds the tear lake to allow the upper lid to grab tears during a blink and sweep them across the eye. It also serves to direct the tears toward the tear drainage system. Its normal position is tightly apposed to the glove and its upper edge is normally just at the inferior edge of the cornea. There are several reasons for the lower eyelid to maintain an abnormal position. The most common is simply the effects of aging and gravity. Over time, the lower eyelid can stretch and become lax, and no longer sit in the proper position. It may roll outward or droop downward, and the white part of the eye may show beneath the cornea. Symptoms can range from irritation associated with drying out of the corneal surface, because the tear film is no longer in the proper location. This may be accompanied by excessive tearing. The tearing may be caused as the eye tries to protect the corneal surface and as the tears are not being directed toward the tear drainage system. If the lower eyelid is turned outward, the eyelid margin may become thickened and irritated as the mucosal surface dries out. This can lead to further irritation and scarring of the tear drainage system. As explained above, the most common cause of ectropion is simply aging and gravity. Usually, this can be simply corrected by tightening the eyelid with a simple surgical technique.

Other causes of ectropion include, scarring of the skin associated with skin cancers, skin condition, and previous surgeries. The correction of these types of problem may require specialized techniques including skin grafting. The lower eyelid may sag or maintain an abnormal position when the nerve input to the muscle is damaged. This can occur with strokes, facial nerve palsies or Bell’s palsy. Correction in these situations may require special techniques. Please inquire with your Dr. Thiagarajah who is specially trained to deal with these specialized eyelid problems.

Eye Care & Surgery Center and our New Jersey Oculoplastic Surgery Specialist Chris Thiagarajah, M.D. provides reconstructive eye plastic surgery for Ectropion in New Jersey and is conveniently located for New Jersey patients from Westfield, Iselin, Warren, Old Bridge, East Brunswick, Sayreville, Milltown, North Brunswick, Kendall Park, Somerset, Dunellen, Bridgewater, Manville, Bound Brook, Raritan, Edison, Colonia, Woodbridge, Metuchen, Avenel, Carteret, Piscataway, Middlesex, Somerville, South Plainfield, North Plainfield, Roselle Park, Garwood, Clark, Kenilworth, Cranford, Gillette, Berkeley Heights, Stirling, Scotch Plains, Summit, Chatham, Watchung, Pluckemin, Rahway, Plainfield, Mountainside, Springfield, New Providence, Basking Ridge, Bedminster, Bernardsville, Millington, Union, Elizabeth, Linden, Jersey City, Irvington, Orange, West Orange, Livingston, Short Hills, Florham Park, Madison, Bloomfield, Montclair, Clifton, Garfield, Wayne, Parsippany, Troy Hills,  and Paramus New Jersey. To schedule an appointment for a Consultation please call us at 908.789.8999.

Eyelid Skin Cancers
Ptosis
Congenital Ptosis
Ectropion
Entropion
Orbital Facial Fractures
Tearing & Tear Structure Problems