Eye Dominance and Hering’s Law Effect on Bilateral Blepharotosis Repair

Müller Muscle-Conjunctival Resection for Treatment of Contralateral Ptosis following Unilateral External Levator Advancement

BACKGROUND

One of the main causes of unsatisfactory outcomes after unilateral blepharoptosis surgery is asymmetry of the upper eyelid height, which occurs as a result of a contralateral eyelid droop. Therefore, the authors evaluated the efficacy of Müller muscle-conjunctival resection (MMCR) for the treatment of contralateral ptosis following unilateral external levator advancement (ELA).

METHODS

This study analyzed 26 eyelids of 26 patients with upper eyelid height asymmetry following unilateral ELA who underwent contralateral MMCR retrospectively. The phenylephrine test was performed before ELA and before MMCR. The main outcome measures were symmetry outcomes and clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

The mean patient age was 55.81 ± 7.98 years (range, 44 to 70 years); 15 were female (57.7%). The Hering dependency was observed in 13 of the patients (50%) before ELA. An adequate response to phenylephrine was observed before MMCR but not before ELA. Symmetry outcomes after MMCR were perfect (<0.5 mm), good (≥0.5 mm and <1 mm), and fair (≥1 mm) in seven, 17, and two patients, respectively. An optimal upper eyelid height was noted in 47 of the 52 eyelids after the MMCR, whereas three of the 52 eyelids had minimal overcorrection, and two eyelids had undercorrection. The mean change in marginal reflex distance 1 of the contralateral eyelid droop was greater for patients with than without the Hering dependency ( P < 0.0001) after ELA but not after MMCR. Two patients (7.6%) underwent revision ELA surgery.

CONCLUSION

MMCR and use of the phenylephrine test to predict the eyelid position may represent an alternative approach in patients who require management of contralateral ptosis following unilateral ELA.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic, IV.

Double-Organ Bias in Controlled Trials on Eyelid Ptosis

PURPOSE

Proper statistical analysis is an essential element in the evaluation of clinical trial outcomes. We had the informal observation that double-organ bias was a neglected issue during the statistical analyses of clinical trials on eyelid ptosis. The aim of this study was to formally document the prevalence of this bias in these studies.

METHODS

Clinical trials on eyelid ptosis, published in the last 20 years, were searched in PubMed with the terms; "((blepharoptosis) OR upper eyelid ptosis) OR eyelid ptosis" and with the filters "Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT), Clinical Trial, Humans." Two independent observers evaluated the articles for eligibility, field of the journal, field of the authors, presence of randomization, type of the study (surgical, medical), and statistical approach to double organ bias.

RESULTS

The PubMed search yielded 101 articles and 23 of them met the above-mentioned criteria. In 3 articles, primary outcome measure was not related with the eyes. Among the remaining 20 articles, 14 (70%) had double-organ bias in the statistics. The bias was slightly less common in randomized trials (60% vs. 80%), but the difference was not statistically significant. Its prevalence was similar between ophthalmology journals and the rest (p = 0.64). Interestingly, the bias tended to be more in Q1 journals (87.5%) compared to Q2 and Q3 journals (58.3%) and median impact factor was higher in biased articles (1.82 vs. 1.29), but the differences weren't statistically significant (p = 0.32, p = 0.24). There was no difference between the last 2 decades (66.6% vs. 75%, p = 0.64).

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of the double-organ bias was very high in published clinical trials on eyelid ptosis (70%) and even among RCTs (60%). The prevalence of the bias didn't prevent publication in higher impact factor journals and didn't change between journals from different disciplines or over time.

Retrospective Analysis of the Effect of Hering's Law on Outcomes of Surgical Correction of Ptosis

INTRODUCTION

Several factors may influence aesthetic outcomes of ptosis surgery, especially in patients with asymmetrical ptosis. We retrospectively assessed the effect of Hering's law on surgical outcomes of patients with asymmetrical ptosis.

METHODS

Patients with mild to moderate asymmetrical ptosis (N = 300) who underwent advancement or plication of upper eyelid aponeurosis between January 2014 and July 2016 were enrolled. Fifty patients (group A) underwent surgery without taking into consideration the impact of Hering's law. Of these, 35 patients with unilateral ptosis (subgroup A1) underwent standard surgery on the contralateral side, whereas 15 patients with bilateral ptosis (subgroup A2) were first operated on the milder side followed by the more severely affected side.In 250 patients (group B), surgery was performed taking cognizance of the implications of Hering's law. These included 100 patients with unilateral ptosis (B1) and 150 with bilateral ptosis (B2). Difference in bilateral palpebral fissure symmetry by less than 0.5 mm was considered as satisfactory outcome.

RESULTS

Duration of postoperative follow-up ranged from 3 to 24 months. Satisfactory outcomes were achieved over 60% of patients in group A (A1, 60.6%; A2, 66.67%) and in 96% of patients in group B (B1, 95%; B2, 96.67%). Patients with unsatisfactory outcomes underwent repair according to Hering's law after 3 months and obtained good results.

CONCLUSIONS

Application of Hering's law may improve outcomes of corrective surgery in patients with asymmetric ptosis.

Maximizing Symmetry in Upper Blepharoplasty: The Role of Microptosis Surgery

BACKGROUND

Traditional descriptions of blepharoplasty and ptosis surgery focus on the incision and eyelid crease. However, it may be more useful to consider the tarsal platform show as the important construct in analyzing and planning aesthetic eyelid surgery.

METHODS

In order to measure and characterize the key contours of the eyelid, the authors find it helpful to consider the brow fat span, tarsal platform show, and margin reflex distance.

RESULTS

Subtle eyelid ptosis can result in asymmetry by lengthening the tarsal platform show, and it is exacerbated by the tendency for the eyebrow to compensate. When ptosis is asymmetric, the plan should usually include asymmetric ptosis surgery. There are two general patterns that can be recognized and used for planning to address preoperative tarsal platform show asymmetry. If the tarsal platform show is longer on the side with worse blepharoptosis, then asymmetric or unilateral ptosis surgery will improve symmetry. In the cases of symmetric show despite asymmetric blepharoptosis, there may be bony and soft-tissue asymmetry, which leads to crowding of the orbit on the more ptotic side. Surgical planning should include consideration to increase the tarsal platform show on the more crowded side. It is not necessary to cut the eyelid skin in order to alter the tarsal show and brow fat span; ptosis surgery alone, by altering the eyelid position and eyebrow compensation, can reset the tarsal platform show/brow fat span relationship.

CONCLUSIONS

It is important to recognize preoperative asymmetry, to predict the resetting of compensatory mechanisms, and to design asymmetric surgery, in order to maximize postoperative symmetry.

Quantitative Comparison of the Effect of 10% Phenylephrine Instillation and Manual Elevation in Patients with Involutional Blepharoptosis

OBJECTIVE

To compare the effect of 10% phenylephrine (PE) instillation and manual elevation (ME) on the upper eyelid position of the tested eye and the contralateral eye in patients with involutional blepharoptosis (IB).

METHODS

IB patients were submitted to two tests followed by observation of the effect on the contralateral eyelid: (1) ME of the more ptotic eyelid; and (2) instillation of two drops of 10% PE (phenylephrine test) in the more ptotic eye. The patients were filmed before and 5, 10, and 15 minutes after instillation. The upper eyelid margin reflex distance (MRD1) was measured using the software Image J, and the results were analyzed with the linear mixed-effects model.

RESULTS

The study included 70 patients aged 44-86 years, 64 of whom were female (91.43%), divided into three groups: subjects with unilateral IB, subjects with bilateral IB, and controls. The eye submitted to instillation with 10% PE displayed significant elevation during the first 10 min: from 1.33 ± 0.66 mm to 2.06 ± 0.89 mm (unilateral group), from 1.26 ± 0.63 mm to 2.29 ± 0.86 mm (bilateral group), and from 3.12 ± 0.68 mm to 4.06 ± 0.92 mm (control group). MRD1 decreased in the contralateral eye in IB patients, significantly more so after the phenylephrine test: PE vs. ME = 18.9% versus 17.2% reduction in the unilateral group, and 13.6% versus 10.7% reduction in the bilateral group. The outcome was not influenced by IB severity and the concurrence of IB and eye dominance.

CONCLUSION

Both ME and 10% PE affected the contralateral upper eyelid, but the response was significantly better with the latter.