Twenty-Five-Year Outcomes of Treatment of Irreversible Facial Paralysis with Gillies and McLaughlin Techniques

The effect of various muscle transfer procedures on eye closure and blinking in longstanding facial palsy patients

BACKGROUND

Facial palsy causes paralytic lagophthalmos, which remarkably deteriorates a patient's quality of life. In cases where denervation time is over 18-24 months (longstanding facial palsy), a free or pedicled muscle transfer is needed to replace the denervated orbicularis oculi muscle.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this systematic review is to investigate the effect of various eye sphincter substitution procedures (free or pedicled muscle transfers) in longstanding facial palsy patients on eye closure and blink.

METHODS

In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, we performed a systematic review of the Embase, Medline, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases and Google Scholar. Our literature search yielded 4322 articles. Following a full-text review, 4 retrospective cohort studies and 21 case series were selected for this review. Meta-analyses using R package meta (version 6.5-0) were conducted.

MAIN FINDINGS

All free and pedicled muscle transfers in this review showed an improvement in the scores and measurements on eye closure and blink. The pedicled temporalis muscle transfer was the procedure most commonly performed as eye reanimation surgery and showed consistent good results. Using the random effects model, the pooled effect of mean difference in lagophthalmos after gentle eye closure post-operatively versus pre-operatively (mm) in patients who received a pedicled (temporalis) muscle transfer was -6.19 (I2 = 85%, 95% CI: -7.89; -4.49) whereas it was -4.11 (I2 = 85%, 95% CI: -7.26; -0.95) for free (gracilis or platysma) muscle transfers. The pooled proportion of patients with complete eye closure after surgery was 0.69 (I2 = 49%, 95% CI: 0.54; 0.82) in patients who received a pedicled (temporalis) muscle transfer and 0.40 (I2 = 74%, 95% CI: 0.13; 0.74) in patients who received a free (platysma) muscle transfer.

CONCLUSIONS

Unlike smile reanimation, dynamic eye closure and blink restoration are rather neglected topics in facial reanimation. The pedicled temporalis muscle transfer is often recommended as the first treatment of choice for eye reanimation in longstanding facial palsy patients since it is a reliable, straightforward procedure, that does not require complex microsurgery. However, with the advancements in the field of microsurgery, free muscle transfers are promising therapies, which may regenerate voluntary and spontaneous blinking.

An ACS-NSQIP Data Analysis of 30-Day Outcomes Following Surgery for Bell's Palsy

BACKGROUND

There exists a paucity of large-scale, multi-institutional studies that investigate the outcomes of surgery for Bell's palsy (BP). Here, we utilize a large, multi-institutional database to study the risk factors and early-stage outcomes following surgical procedures in BP.

METHODS

We reviewed the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database (2008-2019) to identify patients who underwent surgery for the diagnosis of BP. We extracted data on comorbidities and preoperative blood values, and 30-day postoperative outcomes.

RESULTS

Two hundred fifty-seven patients who underwent surgery for BP symptoms over the 12-year review period were identified. Muscle grafts (n=50; 19%) and fascial grafts (n=48; 19%) accounted for the majority of procedures. The most common comorbidities were hypertension (n=89; 35%) and obesity (n=79; 31%). Complications occurred in 26 (10.1%) cases. Additionally, length of hospital stay was significantly associated with both surgical and medical complications (3.9±4.7 versus 1.5±2.0; P <0.01) and (3.2±3.8 versus 1.4±2.0; P <0.01), respectively. Preoperative creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and alkaline phosphatase were identified as potential predictors of poor postoperative outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Based on multi-institutional analysis, complication rates following surgery for BP were found to be overall low and seen to correlate with length of hospital stay. Reoperations and readmissions were the most frequent complications after surgery for BP. The preoperative evaluation of routine laboratory values may help refine patient eligibility and risk stratification. In addition, our findings call for future large-scale prospective studies in the field of facial palsy surgery to further improve the quality of care and optimize perioperative protocols.

Dynamic eyelid reconstruction in facial nerve palsy

The consequences of facial nerve palsy and the secondary inability of eyelid closure and blink may lead to devastating complications for the patient, including blindness. Reconstruction techniques to improve eyelid position and function can be broadly classified into 'static' and 'dynamic' techniques. Generally, ophthalmologists have been familiar with static procedures such as upper eyelid loading, tarsorrhaphy, canthoplasty, and lower eyelid suspension. Recently, dynamic techniques are being increasingly described for patients who require definitive strategies to improve eyelid function, once the initial critical goals of corneal protection and vision preservation have been achieved. The choice of technique(s) is dependent upon the status of the main protractor of the eyelid region, as well as the age of the patient, the patient's morbidities and expectations, and surgeon preference. This review shall first describe the clinical and surgical anatomy relevant to the ophthalmic consequences of facial paralysis and discuss methods of defining function and outcomes. A comprehensive review of dynamic eyelid reconstruction is then presented with a discussion of the literature. These various techniques may not be familiar to all clinicians. It is important that ophthalmic surgeons are aware of all options available for their patients. Furthermore, eye care providers must have an understanding of when referral may be appropriate to provide timely intervention and optimal chances of recovery.

Modified McLaughlin's Dynamic Muscle Support in the 21st Century? A Retrospective Study With a Prospective Follow-Up Analysis for Patients With Long Standing Facial Paralysis

INTRODUCTION

Facial nerve paralysis can dramatically affect the life of a patient as it leads to significant alterations of the facial symmetry and functional limitations. Various methods exist including free neuromuscular flaps to reanimate patients suffering from uni- or even bilateral facial nerve paralysis. The more than 60-year-old technique described by McLaughlin continues to offer an alternative with distinct advantages for the individual patient. The present study aimed to evaluate clinical outcome and satisfaction of patients treated with a modified McLaughlin's Dynamic Muscle Support.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 13 patients (mean age of 58.4 years) who received a modified McLaughlin's Dynamic Muscle Support due to uni- or bilateral long-standing facial paralysis were included. Medical records were reviewed retrospectively, and patients were contacted for additional follow-up. Patients who agreed to participate in the follow-up study were asked to answer a self-developed questionnaire.

RESULTS

In all patients, a rehabilitation of facial symmetry with an improvement of the mimic expression could be achieved. Mean length of inpatient stay was 6.5 days and average duration of surgery was 121 minutes. No surgical site infection occurred. Mean follow-up was 23 months. Most of the patients were fully satisfied with the result and could experience functional and esthetic improvement.Patients who participated in the prospective follow-up study were very satisfied with the esthetic result and functional outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

Even in times of advanced microsurgical techniques, McLaughlin's Dynamic Muscle Support appears to be a good alternative for the successful treatment of long-standing facial paralysis.