Proper times for primary surgical treatment of eyelid wounds.
The optimal result of primary surgical closure of eyelid lacerations depends on the quality of the surgery, skills of the surgeon, and surgery timing. We analyzed inadequate results of wound closure, which proved to be caused by the fact that the operation was done too early or too late, performed by a surgeon not specialized in oculoplasty, by disregard of primary reconstruction with tissue transplantation in case of traumatic defects. The optimal times for primary closure of eyelids' lacerations were found to be 1 to 3 days after the trauma. In case of an unfavorable state of the tissue the surgery may be delayed by up to 2 weeks. Urgent suturing of lacerations within hours after the trauma in unfavorable conditions cannot be recommended. To prevent corneal complications or enable the monitoring of the injured eyeball, bloodless total or partial blepharorraphy should be performed before the eyelid surgery is scheduled. // Russian Ophthalmological Journal, 2012; 3:96-100.