Combined Lateral Rectus Myectomy and Maximal Medial Rectus Resection in Complete Third Cranial Nerve Palsy

This study was performed to describe lateral rectus myectomy and maximal medial rectus resection for correction of eye deviation in complete third cranial nerve palsy. A retrospective review of thirteen patients (fourteen eyes) with complete third cranial nerve palsy, who underwent lateral rectus myectomy and maximal medial rectus resection, was performed. These procedures were combined with superior oblique tendon transposition in nine patients with a large angle of exotropia (more than 60 prism diopters [∆]), or significant hypotropia (more than 5 ∆). Preoperative deviations were exotropia of 50 to 120 ∆ in thirteen cases and hypotropia of 5 to 25 ∆ in eight cases. Six months after the surgery, eleven patients were within 10 ∆ of orthotropia in primary position. Revision surgery was performed for two patients, eight and 18 months after the first operation. Eventually, five patients (38%) achieved orthotropia in the primary position, and seven patients (54%) had < 11 ∆ exotropia and < 6 ∆ vertical deviation. In conclusion, this procedure can be considered as an acceptable approach for treatment of strabismus in complete third cranial nerve palsy. This procedure is simple and can be easily performed even in very young children.