Fifteen years of experience with frontalis suspension using polytetrafluoroethylene (Gore-Tex®) suture in blepharoptosis repair

Purpose: To review the outcomes of frontalis suspension surgeries with the use of polytetrafluoroethylene in patients with blepharoptosis. Methods: A retrospective observational study analyzed the outcomes of frontalis suspension surgeries performed in a single institution from 2003 to 2018. All procedures were performed with closed incision and single pentagon techniques. Outcomes were classified as satisfactory or unsatisfactory, with satisfactory defined as a margin reflex distance of >3 mm and <1 mm between eyelids and unsatisfactory as hypocorrection, surgical complications, and asymmetry. Results: We included a total of 76 eyelids from 52 patients in our study. Within a mean postoperative follow-up of 16.8 +/- 18.5 months (range, 3-95), 59 (77.6%) eyelids had a satisfactory outcome, and 17 (22.4%) were unsatisfactory (8 cases of asymmetry, 3 granulomas, 3 suture extrusions, 2 abscesses, and 1 case of cellulitis). Nine eyelids from the unsatisfactory group required reoperation. Among the patients with a follow-up of >= 12 months (38 surgeries), lasting results were observed in most eyelids, except for 2 late-onset suture extrusions. Conclusion: The use of polytetrafluoroethylene in frontalis suspension surgery was shown to be predictable, safe, and lasting. Our findings support previous studies that have shown adequate functional results and low complication rates.