Management of Lower-Lid Retraction With Hard-Palate Mucosa Grafting

Lower eyelid retraction is frequently managed by recession of the lower-lid retractors and interposition of a "spacer graft." We have used hard-palate mucosa as our spacer material in 25 eyelids of 18 patients. A graft twice the height of the measured amount of lid retraction was used and resulted in predictable, satisfactory results. The hard-palate mucosa was easily obtained and the donor site healed well in all patients, with minimal care.