EVALUATION OF THE USE OF WHITNALL’S SLING IN THE CORRECTION OF PTOSIS WITH POOR LEVATOR FUNCTION

Anderson et al., 1990 have developed a new technique for the correction of ptosis with poor levator function, using this ligament in an internal sling.In our current study 40 ptotic eyelids with severe ptosis and poor levator function were operated upon. The patients were divided into two groups, group A where only a Whitnall’s sling was used and it included 20 eyelids, and group B which included the other 20 eyelids, where a Whitnall’s sling in addition to 4-5 mm superior tarsectomy was performed.The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of Whitnall’s sling in the correction of ptosis with poor levator function and the augmentation of this procedure utilizing superior tarsectomy.he surgery was considered successful when the upper lid height was corrected within 1 mm from the other lid in unilateral cases or compared to an average MRD1 of 4 mm in bilateral cases.According to this criteria, the success rate was 42.5% at the end of 6 months. No short or long term difference was detected in the outcome comparing the two techniques. Complications of this procedure were mainly undercorrection and regression over time, also lagophthalmos with minimal exposure symptoms.Whitnall’s sling is an effective and a less invasive technique, and it may provides a good alternative to frontalis suspension in cases of severe ptosis with poor levator function specially if unilateral.