Management of paralytic lagophthalmos with a modified gold-weight implantation technique

A modified gold-weight implantation technique was used to treat paralytic lagophthalmos in 15 patients. Three patients had suffered extrusions of previously placed gold-weight implants, two had other complications necessitating reoperation, and 10 had no previous surgery. The surgical modifications were intended to reduce the incidence of implant extrusion, postoperative ptosis, and implant visibility beneath the skin. The important changes in the surgical technique included (a) advancing the levator aponeurosis over the implant and (b) adjusting the final eyelid height intraoperatively with levator myotomies. Follow-up ranged from 6 to 11 months. None of the patients in this study had postoperative problems associated with ptosis, implant extrusion, or implant visibility. Mild, prolonged, postoperative edema was noted in several patients. This resolved spontaneously. Mild eyelid retraction and lagophthalmos were seen postoperatively in two patients. This was caused by a failure to perform marginal myotomies at the time of the initial surgeries.