SURGICAL-TREATMENT OF LAGOPHTHALMOS IN FACIAL PALSY - EAR CARTILAGE GRAFT FOR ELONGATING THE LEVATOR PALPEBRAE MUSCLE

Ocular exposure, conjunctival irritation and corneal keratitis are dis turbing consequences of facial paralysis with lagophthalmos. Many tech niques have been described for correcting this condition. A new method for decreasing the palpebral fissure is presented. An ear cartilage g raft is interposed between the tarsal plate and the levator palpebrae superioris muscle. 12 patients with paralysis of the orbicularis oculi muscle, as assessed by electromyography, were treated with this techn ique. The palpebral fissure was decreased by 2-3 mm in all cases. 11 p atients showed significant improvement of their eye symptoms. One pati ent, in whom the palpebral fissure could not be closed sufficiently to protect the eye, required additional lengthening by 4 mm of the carti lage graft and a lateral tarsorrhaphy.