[Custom-made gold plate prosthesis in the upper eyelid in patients with facial paralysis: improved eyelid closure with less effects on other eye complaints].
OBJECTIVE: To obtain insight into the results of treatment of lagophthalmos by gold weight implantation in the upper eyelid. DESIGN: Retrospective. METHODS: The records of all 37 patients treated in the Netherlands (1986-1998) were reviewed. All traceable patients (n = 33) were sent a questionnaire and invited for clinical evaluation of the treated eye (n = 28). RESULTS: The average follow-up was 44 months (range: 3-150). Twenty-seven patients (82%) reported improved eye closure. After 6 weeks 13 patients (48%) had no eye complaints (dry eye, epiphora, conjunctivitis). At the clinical evaluation 10 patients (36%) had no such complaints. Nine patients (27%) had to undergo a reintervention because of malposition or spontaneous extrusion of the gold weight. It was removed in 4 of them. Upon closure the average residual palpebral aperture was 1.17 mm (range: 0-5) in the patients with gold weight in situ and 6.00 mm (5-10) in the patients in whom the implant had been removed. CONCLUSION: A better eye closure was obtained in 82% of the patients, while eye complaints resolved in 36% of them.