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Conjunctival prolapse can result from a variety of eyelid and orbital procedures. It occurs occasionally after procedures that tighten the lower eyelid and after procedures that interfere with lymphatic drainage, such as lateral canthal surgery. It also occurs after transconjunctival blepharoplasty.
Conjunctival prolapse produces not only a cosmetic problem but also ocular discomfort. In most cases, conjunctival chemosis and prolapse will resolve spontaneously without treatment. However, at other times, conjunctival prolapse tends to persist for prolonged periods. One reason is because the tissues that are prolapsed do not wet well when the eyelids close, since the tissue protrudes through the closed eyelids. This leads to drying of the tissue, causing it to