[Medial rectus tendon elongation with bovine pericardium for type 1 Duane's retraction syndrome]

Some patients with esotropic Duane's retraction syndrome (type 1) adopt a head turn to gain binocular vision. For some patients recession of the ipsilateral medial rectus muscle is not sufficient to eliminate head turn and squint angle. Surgery with tendon elongation allows the correction of larger angles and maintains a sufficient arc of contact. We report our results and experience.

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 10 patients with unilateral, esotropic Duane syndrome type 1 who had tendon elongation with bovine pericardium to correct a head turn or squint angle. Two patients had primary surgery with tendon elongation due to preoperative excessive angles, eight patients had tendon elongations as secondary procedures. Nine of the patients had their follow-up examination at least six weeks after surgery.

The median preoperative angle of squint in primary position was + 27.5 pdpt, the median postoperative angle + 0 pdpt. The median dose effect relation for secondary interventions was 2.4 pdpt reduction of squint angle/mm surgery, for one patient with primary surgery and long-term follow-up 2.75 pdpt/mm. The median, preoperative head turn of seven patients with preoperative binocular functions was 20°. Postoperatively, six patients with long-term follow-up showed a median head turn of 0°. The median dose-effect relation was 3.3° reduction of head turn/mm surgery. All nine patients with long-term follow-up had a maximal head turn of 10°, six of the patients had no persisting head turn. Binocular functions were stable or better than preoperatively.

For patients with retraction syndrome type 1, tendon elongation of the medial rectus muscle using Tutopatch® is a good option for secondary interventions or excessive preoperative squint angle or head turn.