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

PURPOSE: 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. METHODS: 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. RESULTS: 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). CONCLUSION: 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.