Frontalis suspension surgery to treat patients with essential blepharospasm and apraxia of eyelid opening-technique and results.

INTRODUCTION: We describe the results of 15 patients suffering from essential blepharospasm with apraxia of eyelid opening who underwent frontalis suspension surgery.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients with apraxia of eyelid opening and unresponsive to botulinum toxin injections were studied. Bilateral frontalis suspension surgery was performed (sling operation) using polytetrafluoroethylene (Gore-Tex®) sutures. The patients reported the degree of improvement using a subjective rating scale to evaluate the benefit of the operation at two times after surgery (0-10 days and 180-360 days).

RESULTS: The patients reported a high degree of subjective improvement. In the early postoperative period (0-10 days) the mean degree of subjective improvement was 74.6% (standard deviation (SD) 26.4%). At 180-360 days after surgery the mean improvement was 70.0% (SD 26.7%). Small hematomas of the upper lid occurred postoperatively in all patients. Other complications were suture extrusions (9.1%), suture granulomas (6.1%), lacrimation (5.0%) and local infections (7.5%). Postoperatively, all patients needed additional botulinum toxin injections for optimal outcome.

CONCLUSION: Frontalis suspension surgery is a minimally invasive and effective treatment option for apraxia of eyelid opening in patients with essential blepharospasm unresponsive to botulinum toxin injections alone.