McCord procedure for ectropion repair

R. E. Wesley and J. W. Collins

The McCord technique of ectropion repair was used on 85 eyelids of 77 patients who have been observed for six to 34 months. In each instance the ectropion was corrected by resecting part of the stretched lateral canthal tendon and reattaching the tarsus to the lateral orbital rim with a permanent suture. The incision at the lateral canthus avoids lid notching, trichiasis, corneal irritation, and the added stress on the lateral canthal tendon that may occur with conventional wedge sections. The lid position was revised in six patients. A lateral canthal granuloma developed in four patients. One patient had late infection from the permanent stitch. This procedure is particularly useful for patients with ectropion who have an artificial eye or for ectropion after blepharoplasty. Additional steps may be added for more complicated cases, such as skin grafting for cicatricial ectropion or reattachment of the lower lid retractors for tarsal ectropion.