Gold weight implantation and lateral tarsorrhaphy for upper eyelid paralysis.
BACKGROUND
Upper eyelid paralysis leads to lagophthalmos with the risk of exposure keratitis, corneal ulceration and blindness.


METHODS
Consecutive patients undergoing gold weight implantation and/or lateral tarsorrhaphy were identified from our prospective database and reviewed.


RESULTS
Sixty-three patients were identified, 36 of whom underwent immediate reanimation procedure either during cancer excision (n = 35) or repair of facial laceration (n = 1). Twenty-seven patients had a delayed procedure either following tumour excision (n = 21) or unresolved Bell's palsy (n = 3), or facial palsy due to complex craniofacial fracture (n = 3). Nine patients required revision to achieve optimal weight. Fifty-two patients had full eye closure. The remaining 11 patients had almost complete eye closure.


CONCLUSIONS
Facial paralysis is devastating for the patient and immediate facial reanimation should be performed. We have demonstrated that gold weight implantation and lateral tarsorrhaphy are simple and effective in achieving eye closure.
Head & Neck and Skull Base Surgery/Oncology Programme, Wellington Regional Plastic, Maxillofacial & Burns Unit, Hutt Hospital, Wellington, New Zealand. swee.tan@huttvalleydhb.org.nz
Swee T
ST
Tan
Jonathan J
JJ
Staiano
Tinte
T
Itinteang
Benjamin C
BC
McIntyre
Craig A
CA
MacKinnon
David W
DW
Glasson
D008949:Adenoma, Pleomorphic / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001767:Blinking / Q000502:physiology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery; D005141:Eyelid Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D005143:Eyelids / Q000601:surgery*; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000601:surgery; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000145:classification / Q000601:surgery*; D005206:Fascia Lata / Q000637:transplantation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006046:Gold; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009334:Neck Muscles / Q000637:transplantation; D010307:Parotid Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000150:complications; D013536:Suture Techniques; D013703:Temporal Muscle / Q000637:transplantation
D006046:Gold