New surgical approach for the treatment of gland prolapse of the third eyelid in dogs: A retrospective study

Abstract

At this clinical study twelve dogs, 13 eyes, presenting the prolapse of the third eyelid gland, received surgical treatment in a new technical approach. After a complete eye exam and pre-surgery laboratory exams, the surgical treatment of the prolapse of the third eyelid gland was performed through an incision, using a surgical laser on the caudal side of the base of the third eyelid; a tunnel was created by divulsion the mucosa using a Halsted-Mosquito forceps. The prolapsed gland was replaced by performing two Wolf's sutures with absorbable thread trespassing the third eyelid and its inner mucosa. This procedure was enabled to retain the prolapsed gland inside the mucosa of the caudal face of the third eyelid. The two sutures were sufficient to prevent the gland from reprofiling itself. All patients were evaluated after seven, fourteen and twenty-one days post- surgery, none of them presented recurrence of prolapse or even inflammation of the gland, conjunctiva or alteration in their lacrimal production.