Surgical strategy for third nerve palsy with aberrant regeneration: Harnessing the aberrant power

Our study aimed to evaluate the outcome of contralateral eye (CE) fixation duress squint surgery (FDSS) in third nerve palsy (3^rd NP) with aberrant regeneration and compare the postoperative ptosis correction with preoperative ptosis improvement on adduction.

Patients of 3^rd NP with aberrant regeneration who underwent CE FDSS between December 2012-July 2015 in a tertiary-care eye hospital with a follow-up period of 1-year were retrospectively studied to analyze preoperative and postoperative details. Surgical success was defined as the correction of ptosis within 1 mm of preoperative ptosis improvement during maximal adduction of the affected eye, postoperative alignment ≤10Δ, and resolution of subjective diplopia in primary position.

A total of 14 eyes in 14 patients (mean age 23.6 ± 13.6 years) were included. Mean preoperative exotropia and ptosis in primary position in 14 patients was 53.4 ± 20pd and 4.89 ± 2.9 mm, respectively, and mean hypotropia in 6 patients was 23.67 ± 5.89pd. The mean improvement of ptosis on adduction and supraduction in all patients was 4.07 ± 2.64 mm and 2.89 ± 2.22 mm, respectively (P = 0.213). All patients underwent large recession of CE lateral rectus (mean 12.4 ± 2.7 mm), 9 patients underwent CE medial rectus resection/plication (mean 6.0 ± 0.9 mm) and 6 patients underwent CE superior rectus recession (mean 6.6 ± 0.67 mm). Postoperatively, mean ptosis and exotropia correction was 3.7 ± 2.4 mm (P = 0.000) and 15 ± 9.6pd (P = 0.000), respectively, and mean hypotropia was 2.17 ± 4.02pd (P = 0.000). Surgical success was achieved in 6 patients. Postoperative ptosis correction showed strong positive correlation with preoperative improvement of ptosis on adduction (r = 0.87; P = 0.00).

Preoperative lid excursion on adduction in 3^rd NP can be regarded as a prognostic sign of the success of CE FDSS which can simultaneously correct both ptosis and squint.