Patients were randomly allocated to the lower eyelid massage (experimental) or standard care (control) groups. The massage group received post-operative instructions. Data on demographics, injury profiles, lower eyelid scar contracture (graded by GLESCO criteria), eyelid malpositioning, comfort scores, and complications were gathered over a 6-month follow-up.
* The massage technique was executed with the patient in a fully open-eyed state, maintaining an upward gaze. The lateral aspect of the distal phalanx of the index finger was employed, exerting pressure on the lower eyelid to bring its margin into contact with the upper eyelid margin for a duration of 10 seconds per repetition. This procedure comprises 10 repetitions per set, administered once hourly, spanning 10 hours daily. The massage instruction was provided either by the authors or plastic surgery residents. * Facial fracture surgeries were conducted by experienced plastic surgeons and/or proficient 4th and 5th year plastic surgery residents at Chiang Mai University Hospital, utilizing the skin-muscle flap subciliary approach. All patients underwent surgery one week after injury to mitigate soft tissue swelling, which had subsided by that time. * Consistent pre-operative, peri-operative, and post-operative care protocols were administered to both patient groups. Stitches at the subciliary incision site were extracted on post-operative day 5. Patients in the massage group were instructed to commence lower eyelid massage on the day when stitches were removed. * The follow-up assessments were occurred at 1-week, 3-week, 6-week, 3-month, and 6-month intervals post-operatively. Evaluation criteria include the Grading of Lower Eyelid Scar Contracture (GLESCO). Additionally, grading of lower eyelid malpositioning, comfort scores, rate on a scale of 0-10, adapted from POSAS and Verbal Rating Scale, wound infection, dehiscence, eyelid comfort, and management related to the subciliary incision will be assessed and documented by the plastic surgeon (author) and plastic surgery resident.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
The massage technique was executed with the patient in a fully open-eyed state, maintaining an upward gaze. The lateral aspect of the distal phalanx of the index finger was employed, exerting pressure on the lower eyelid to bring its margin into contact with the upper eyelid margin for a duration of 10 seconds per repetition. This procedure comprised 10 repetitions per set, administered once hourly, spanning 10 hours daily. The massage instruction was provided either by the authors or plastic surgery residents.
Grading of Lower Eyelid Scar Contracture (GLESCO)
An anatomical score adapted by the authors, which was not independently validated as it relies on consistent anatomy across patients. Patient in normal neutral gaze, examiner use a finger to push the patient's lower eyelid up to reach upper eyelid, evaluate the lower lid margin compare with cornea Grade 0: Can push lower eyelid up to 100% of cornea Grade 1: Can push lower eyelid up to 75% of cornea Grade 2: Can push lower eyelid up to 50% of cornea Grade 3: Can push lower eyelid up to 25% of cornea Grade 4: Can push lower eyelid less than 25% of cornea
Time frame: The follow-up assessments occurred at 1-week, 3-week, 6-week, 3-month, and 6-month intervals post-operatively.
Grading of lower eyelid malpositioning
One of the complications encountered following lower-lid blepharoplasty, ranging in severity from mild lower-lid retraction to frank ectropion with marked lower-lid eversion. Patient in normal neutral gaze, examiner observe position and characteristic of lower eyelid. Grade 0: Normal eye position Grade 1: Lateral rounding of the eye Grade 2: Central sclera show involving limbus Grade 3: Mild eversion of lower lid with tear pooling in inferior cul-de-sac Grade 4: Frank outward eversion of lower lid with exposure of palpebral conjunctiva
Time frame: The follow-up assessments occurred at 1-week, 3-week, 6-week, 3-month, and 6-month intervals post-operatively.
Comfort scores
Represent subjective clinical evaluations by patients, assessing the overall comfort of the eye, including factors like dryness and tightness of the eyelid, rated on a scale of 0-10, adapted from POSAS and Verbal Rating Scale
Time frame: The follow-up assessments occurred at 1-week, 3-week, 6-week, 3-month, and 6-month intervals post-operatively.
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SINGLE
Enrollment
59