Entropion and ectropion repair: a snapshot of surgical practice in the United Kingdom.

We aim to provide a snapshot of the current surgical practice for correction of entropion and ectropion, the two most common oculoplastic procedures carried out in the UK, by surveying 135 consultant oculoplastic surgeons via the tool Survey Monkey. Forty-seven (35%) consultants responded. For entropion, 44% of surgeons opted for lateral tarsal strip (LTS) + everting sutures (ES). Other first-line choices included LTS + transcutaneous retractor plication (21%), Quickert's procedure (14%), ES (7%), and Wies procedure (5%). Important patient-related factors to consider were horizontal lid laxity and retractor dehiscence. Regarding ectropion, LTS was most commonly practiced (35%), followed by LTS + transconjunctival retractor plication (28%), wedge excision (16%), and lateral canthoplasty (5%). The patient-related factors guiding choice were horizontal lid laxity, lateral canthal tendon laxity, and punctal position under traction. Responses found a wide range of preferred surgical techniques in practice. The factors guiding surgical choice were personal audit results (92% stated important/very important), familiarity with the technique (92%), and the technique being favoured by previous trainers (76%), suggesting current practice led by expert opinion, possibly due to a lack of evidence-based literature. This highlights the variety of core oculoplastic surgical techniques practiced and underlines the need for robust trials to guide surgical choice.