Mucous membrane graft for trichiasis: Follow-up of 23 grafts in 17 patients

Abstract

During the years 1984 to 1989 the author performed 23 mucous membrane grafts for trichiasis in 17 patients. Follow-up was four to 63 months (28 months, SD = 21). Fourteen patients were without symptoms initially, two further patients after additional operations. However, reexamination of the patients revealed an unexpected high rate of recurrences of 13 mucous membrane grafts in nine patients. In five out of nine patients recurrences occurred after a postoperative interval of more than six months, in three patients not earlier than three years postoperatively. The author's results indicate that a follow-up of several years is necessary to establish the value of a particular treatment for trichiasis.

Key Words:

• trichiasis
• distichiasis
• mucous membrane graft
• follow-up