Venous graft for reconstruction of neoplastic and post-traumatic eyelid defects.

AIM The repair of an eyelid-wide full-thickness defect is a challenging procedure, mostly for the tarso-conjunctival layer reconstruction. The Authors illustrate their own experience in reconstructing eyelid-wide defects with a composite venous wall and skin graft to repair both neoplastic and post-traumatic injuries, aiming to reach both functionally and cosmetically satisfactory results. PATIENTS AND METHODS Eight patients were treated with this procedure; six of them were affected by a local invasive tumor, two had a wide defect following a trauma. RESULTS Most of the patients had good functional and cosmetic results after a median follow-up of 51 months; only one had a minor complication. CONCLUSION Eyelid reconstruction with a venous wall and skin graft is a recently introduced technique that represents a reliable alternative to traditional procedures, granting esthetically and functionally good results.