A Survey of Current Blepharospasm Treatment Patterns Among Oculoplastic Surgeons

To determine the current practice pattern of ASOPRS members injecting onabotulinumtoxinA for Blepharospasm.

An invitation to participate in a web-based, anonymous survey was sent to current members of American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (ASOPRS) via e-mail. The survey consisted of 9 questions and used the Research Electronic Data Capture online application. Institutional Review board approval was obtained for this study.

Forty-one percent of ASOPRS members invited responded to the survey. The mean initial dose of onabotulinumtoxinA used was 22.5 units per side and the most common number of injection sites was greater than 7 per side. Only 12 of the 247 responding surgeons who treat benign essential blepharospasm with onabotulinumtoxinA reported that their initial injection pattern is with 3 or fewer sites per side as per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved recommendations.

Survey of current trends in the management of blepharospasm with onabotulinumtoxinA by ASOPRS members showed that the mean initial dose used to treat blepharospasm patients was 22.5 (standard deviation ± 9.5 units, range 2.5 to 50 units per side). There is significant variation in the treatment doses. The majority of ASOPRS members do not follow the FDA-approved recommendation for dosing.