Transconjunctival Levator Aponeurosis Advancement without Resection of Müller’s Muscle in Aponeurotic Ptosis Repair

The transconjunctival levator aponeurosis advancement without resection of Müller’s muscle enables repair of aponeurotic ptosis without the need for surgical exposure through a skin incision. This technique may be preferred by many patients who are reluctant to undergo ptosis surgery because of the possible skin scar and who do not present with excessive upper eyelid laxity. A successful outcome requires careful patients' selection, familiarity with the surgical anatomy of the everted eyelid, as well as with the possible complications. Special consideration should be given to factors such as determining the degree of aponeurosis advancement to accord with the height of the eyelid during surgery and to creating the desired shape and size of the “double eyelid” in Asians. From our experience, this surgical technique is effective in correcting levator aponeurotic ptosis and contributes to a quick recovery of the normal anatomy and function of the eyelid. This method should therefore be added to the arsenal of techniques for blepharoptosis repair

Frontalis Suspension Surgery in Upper Eyelid Blepharoptosis

Frontalis suspension is a commonly used surgery that is indicated in patients with blepharoptosis and poor levator muscle function. The surgery is based on connecting the tarsal plate to the eyebrow with various sling materials. Although fascia lata is most commonly used due to its long-lasting effect and low rate of complications, it has several limitations such as difficulty of harvesting, insufficient amounts in small children, and postoperative donor-site complications. Other sling materials have overcome these limitations, but on the other hand, have been reported to be associated with other complications. In this review we focus on the different techniques and materials which are used in frontalis suspension surgeries, as well as the advantage and disadvantage of these techniques

Eyelash inversion in epiblepharon: Is it caused by redundant skin?

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of redundant lower eyelid skin on the eyelash direction in epiblepharon. Materials and methods: Asian patients with epiblepharon participated in this study. The lower eyelid skin was pulled downward in the upright position with the extent just to detach from eyelash roots, and the direction of the eyelashes was examined. These evaluations were repeated before surgery while the patients were lying supine under general anesthesia. Results: The study included 41 lower eyelids of 25 patients (17 females, 8 males, average age; 5.6 years, 16 cases bilateral, 9 unilateral). In the upright position, without downward traction of the skin, the eyelashes were vertically positioned and touching the cornea. The redundant skin touched only the eyelash roots and had minimal contribution to eyelash inversion. With downward skin traction, there was no signifi cant change in the eyelash direction. In the spine position, the eyelashes were touching the cornea, and there was marked redundant skin that was pushing the eyelashes inward. With downward skin traction, there was no significant change. Conclusions: The direction of lower eyelashes in patients with epiblepharon was less infl uenced by lower eyelid skin redundancy than previously considered. The redundant skin is only a possible aggravating factor to epiblepharon.Hirohiko Kakizaki, Igal Leibovitch,Yasuhiro Takahashi and Dinesh Selv

Transcutaneous Blepharoptosis Surgery: Simultaneous Advancement of the Levator Aponeurosis and Müller’s Muscle (Levator Resection)

Transcutaneous blepharoptosis surgery with simultaneous advancement of the levator aponeurosis and Müller’s muscle (levator resection) is a popular surgery which is considered effective for all types of blepharoptosis except for the myogenic type. Repair of ptosis cases with good levator function yields excellent results. A good outcome can be also obtained in cases with poor levator function, however, in such cases; a large degree of levator advancement may be required, which may result in postoperative dry eyes, unnatural eyelid curvature and astigmatism. These cases are therefore better treated with sling surgery. With the right patient selection, the levator resection technique is an effective method for ptosis repair

The importance of rim removal in deep lateral orbital wall decompression

Purpose: To evaluate the surgical outcome of deep lateral orbital decompression with or without rim removal. Design: Retrospective case series. Methods: Thirty-two patients (47 orbits) with Graves’ orbitopathy who underwent simple deep lateral decompression or balanced lateral plus medial decompression. Of the 14 patients (24 orbits) who underwent simple deep lateral decompression, 8 (13 orbits) had temporary rim removal and in 6 (11 orbits) the rim was left intact. Of the 18 patients (23 orbits) who underwent a balanced decompression, 7 (9 orbits) had temporary rim removal and in 11 (14 orbits) the rim was left intact. The amount of postoperative reduction in proptosis was compared among these four groups. Results: The average reduction in proptosis in the simple deep lateral decompression group was 5.73 mm (range: 4.0–8.0 mm) in the rim removal group and 4.09 mm (range: 2.5–6.0 mm) in the intact rim group (P = 0.005). The average reduction in proptosis in the balanced decompression group was 6.39 mm (range: 5.0–8.5 mm) in the rim removal group and 5.07 mm (range: 3.0–8.0 mm) in the intact rim group (P = 0.039). There was no statistically significant difference in proptosis reduction between the simple deep lateral decompression with rim removal group and the balanced decompression with an intact rim group (P = 0.220). Conclusion: The rim removal approach allows a more effective decompression than the intact rim approach. Simple deep lateral decompression with rim removal approach has a similar effect to balanced decompression through an intact rim.Kakizaki H, Takahashi Y, Ichinose A, Iwaki M, Selva D and Leibovitch

Double motion of upper eyelids in Graves’ orbitopathy: an additional sign for detection of thyroid dysfunction or positive thyroid autoantibodies

Purpose: To assess the effectiveness of the upper eyelid double motion sign in Graves’ orbitopathy (GO) in detecting thyroid dysfunction or a positive level of thyroid-related autoantibodies. Methods: GO was defined when more than two GO-related eyelid symptoms, including the double motion sign, existed with at least one positive thyroid-related blood test. Blood tests were performed in patients with more than two GO-related eyelid symptoms. The double motion was defined when the upper eyelid stopped at least once during downward eye movement. Fifty patients without GO or other eyelid diseases were used as controls. Results: There were 353 patients who showed more than two GO-related eyelid symptoms including the upper eyelid double motion sign. Of these, 300 patients were diagnosed with GO (300/353, 85.0%). The double motion sign was demonstrated in 267 patients (75.6%). A pause in double motion was typically seen around the anterosuperior direction of gaze. Double motion was not seen in any of the control eyelids. Although only 7.0% were hyperthyroid and 8.6% were hypothyroid, thyroid related autoantibodies were shown in 73.9% of patients. When the double motion sign was removed from the diagnostic criteria of GO, 263 patients had more than two thyroid-related eyelid symptoms, including 223 patients diagnosed as GO (25.7% reduction), although the rate of a correct diagnosis was almost the same (84.8%). Conclusions: The double motion sign of the upper eyelids is frequently demonstrated in GO patients. This previously unreported sign can help in detecting thyroid dysfunction states with positive levels of autoantibodies.Hirohiko Kakizaki, Yasuhiro Takahashi, Masayoshi Iwaki, Akihiro Ichinose, Dinesh Selva, Igal Leibovitc

Orbital invasion by recurrent maxillary ameloblastoma

Igal Leibovitch, Robert M. Schwarcz, Sara Modjtahedi, Dinesh Selva and Robert A. Goldber

Indocyanine Green Assisted Removal of Orbital Lacrimal Duct Cysts in Children

Aim. To report on the use of indocyanine green (ICG) during surgical removal of pediatric orbital lacrimal duct cysts. Method. We conducted a retrospective review of our cases of surgical excision of orbital lacrimal duct cysts using intraoperative injection of indocyanine green (ICG), which was used following inadvertent cyst rupture and volume loss. The dye allowed complete cyst visualization and complete excision despite volume loss or cyst rupture. Results. The study included 6 children (3 boys, mean age of 4.2 ± 0.84 years, range 3–5 years). Mean follow-up period was 9.3 months. All cysts were located in the inferonasal quadrant of the orbit (4 in the right side). In all cases, ICG was injected into the cyst at the time of surgery following unintentional cyst rupture. After the dye injection, it was easy to identify the borders of the cyst, permitting complete cyst removal, without any intra- or postoperative complications. Pathological examination revealed that all cysts were of lacrimal duct origin. Conclusion. Intraoperative injection of ICG into orbital cysts in children can aid surgeons in identifying cyst borders following inadvertent rupture, allowing complete removal