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Splitting of the lateral rectus muscle with medial transposition to treat oculomotor palsy: a retrospective analysis of 29 consecutive cases

  • Neuroophthalmology
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

The lateralis splitting technique has been an interesting option for treating large-angle exotropia due to complete 3rd nerve paralysis since its inception in the early 1990s. The purpose of this study is to report on our experience regarding the effectiveness and complications of this method.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of a consecutive series of 29 patients operated by one single experienced surgeon and examined according to a specific operative and perioperative protocol. Patients were examined preoperatively, on the 2nd day and 3rd month after surgery. Outcome measures include strabismus angle, horizontal motility, head turn, binocular function, and incidence and resolution of postoperative serous retinal detachment as seen with infrared imaging and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).

Results

Surgery brought about a large and stable reduction of strabismus angle and head turn. It reduced horizontal motility, but moved the range of monocular excursion much closer to center. Eighty percent of patients with constant diplopia acquired some fields of single binocular vision. A significant number of cases (33.3%) developed transitory serous retinal detachment with varying onset and extent.

Conclusion

This is by far the largest published study regarding the outcome of lateralis splitting in NIII palsy. The procedure is difficult, yet a very useful option. Serous detachment is a serious complication, but usually transitory. Its cause and mechanisms are not fully understood and warrant further investigation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Universitaetsklinikum Giessen and Marburg GmbH, Giessen Campus, Friedrichstrasse 18, 35385, Giessen, Germany

    Sotirios Basiakos, Michael Gräf, Markus N. Preising & Birgit Lorenz

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  1. Sotirios Basiakos
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  2. Michael Gräf
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  3. Markus N. Preising
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  4. Birgit Lorenz
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Correspondence to Birgit Lorenz.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All procedures involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee (case number AZ 02/18) and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Basiakos, S., Gräf, M., Preising, M.N. et al. Splitting of the lateral rectus muscle with medial transposition to treat oculomotor palsy: a retrospective analysis of 29 consecutive cases. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 257, 2005–2014 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-019-04370-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-019-04370-7

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