Eyelid lacerations
Oakhill Vet Stuart was called promptly when Sully caught his eye on a wall.
Sully's eye was checked for an ulcer and the eyelid was sutured under sedation and local anaesthetic. Prompt suturing and great care from his owner, preventing him from disrupting the stitches, has lead to a great cosmetic result!
However, eyelid laceration can have many complications:
- Failing to get the edges of the wound meeting nicely when stitching together can cause the eyelid or lashes to scratch the outer covering of the eye, the cornea.
- If the eyelids can't move as normal then tears can't spread across the eye.
- There are glands in the margin of the eyelid that secrete a component of the tears. If these are damaged there is an alteration the tear consistency.
The above three complications leads to corneal ulceration and pain.
Tears drain via the nasolacrimal duct in the inner corner of the eye. If obstructed or damaged, tears accumulate and then tear down the face which can cause skin irritation. Stagnant tears can attract bacteria and lead to conjunctivitis
To give the best chance of eyelid lacerations healing well and preventing the above mentioned side effects, veterinary assessment and suturing of wounds needs to occur promptly.
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