Tail flap for eyelid reconstruction: An alternative to the Tenzel flap

Purpose: To describe a technique of eyelid reconstruction with the tail flap method and also to evaluate the post-surgical outcome in a group of patients. Methods: This was a prospective case series study on nine patients who had undergone an eyelid reconstruction with the tail flap method. The study had been conducted from July 2014 to July 2019. The follow-up continued for six months to one year. Results: A total of nine patients with ten eyelid defects, 2 (22%) patients had unilateral eyelid coloboma, 1 (11%) had lower lid defect associated with Treacher-Collins syndrome,1 (11%)with bilateral upper eyelid coloboma, only one eyelid undergone lid reconstructive surgery associated with craniofacial anomalies,1 (11%) with Juvenile xanthogranuloma of the left upper eyelid,1(11%) with Basal cell carcinoma in the right upper lid, 3(34%) with Meibomian gland carcinoma 2 in lower eyelid and 1 in upper lid undergone lid reconstructive surgery with triangular flap. Among nine patients, a total of ten eyelid defects were repaired with the triangular flap technique, 5 (50%) in the upper eyelid and 5 (50%) in the lower eyelid. The eyelid defects were completely repaired with tail flap in all patients. All patients were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively. The cosmetic outcomes of surgical intervention were excellent in 5(50%) cases, good in 3(30%) cases, fair enough in 2(20%) cases. Conclusions: Tail flap is an alternative surgical method to the well-established Tenzel flap in eyelid reconstruction. Keywords: Tail Flap; Tenzel Flap; Eyelid Defect; Lid reconstruction