An approach to the surgical management of total oculomotor nerve palsy

The goal of the procedure was to keep the eyes of patients with total oculomotor palsy in the straight ahead position by means of surgery on the horizontal and inferior rectus muscles in one session, without involving the superior oblique muscles. Six patients underwent surgery for total oculomotor nerve palsy. All of the surgical procedures were carried out on the muscles of the paralytic eye. We performed hemi-hangback recession of the lateral rectus and resection of the medial rectus for exotropia in all patients. Depending on the magnitude of vertical deviation, the insertions of the horizontal rectus muscles were moved upward, alone or in combination with hemi-hangback recession of the inferior rectus. The mean preoperative horizontal deviation was 66.6 PD. Two years after the operation, the horizontal deviation was measured to be 11.6 PD. Similarly, the mean preoperative vertical deviation of 16 PD decreased to 6.6 PD in two years. This procedure did not disturb normally functioning superior oblique and lateral rectus muscles. Subjectively, all of the patients were satisfied with their alignment two years after the operation. We are of the opinion that this technique is a safe, simple and effective procedure and can be regarded as a first-choice operation in total oculomotor palsy. If one fails to maintain the eye position with this procedure, one can still perform a second operation on the superior oblique muscle, which remains untouched in our procedure.