Treatment of paralytic lagophthalmos with gold weight implants covered by levator aponeurosis.
OBJECTIVE
To describe a technique to treat paralytic lagophthalmos and exposure keratitis with gold weight implants covered by levator aponeurosis.


METHODS
The authors studied a case series of 29 patients who underwent surgical treatment for paralytic lagophthalmos using the technique of gold weight implantation covered by the aponeurosis of the levator palpebrae superioris muscle between June 1997 and December 2006. None had undergone previous surgical treatment.


RESULTS
All patients sustained their implants; there were no cases of extrusion, dislocation, or infection. Patients had significant improvement of symptoms, especially exposure keratopathy, with lagophthalmos dimensions decreased from 4 to 5 mm preoperatively to 0.5 mm after surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
Excellent results were obtained by recessing the levator palpebrae superioris muscle aponeurosis with relaxing incisions and advancing it to overly the gold weight implant completely. Visibility of the implant in the pretarsal upper eyelid surface was minimized, extrusion was avoided, and good eyelid position was obtained.
Lessa
Sergio
S
Oculoplastic Surgery Department of the 1st Infirmary of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. s.lessa@alternex.com.br
Nanci
Marcelo
M
Sebastiá
Roberto
R
Flores
Eduardo
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019882:Blepharoplasty / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005141:Eyelid Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006046:Gold; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D019736:Prostheses and Implants / Q000009:adverse effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D006046:Gold