Evaluation of Residual Neuro-Muscular Integrity in the Orbicularis Oculi Muscle After Lower Eyelid Transcutaneous Blepharoplasty According to Reidy Adamson-s Flap

Background: The aging process affects skin, muscle and fat of the eyes in a different manner. Their individual rejuvenation would require specific surgical treatment according to their particular demands during lower eyelid blepharoplasty. This would require the separate management of the skin and the muscle by separating them into two different flaps. Basing on the anatomy, during sub-ciliary myocutaneous incision in conventional lower eyelid transcutaneous blepharoplasty most of innervations of the lower orbicularis oculi muscle are transected and denervation sequelae at the pretarsal orbicularis oculi muscle would be expected. However, sub/ciliary approach is still popular. The absence of signs or symptom of denervation of in our large case series even though injury to the motor innervation of the orbicularis oculi muscle during the operation led the authors to investigate the discrepancy between the anatomical concept and clinical outcomes. The study aimed to investigate the residual functionality of the orbicularis oculi muscle after lower eyelid transcutaneous blepharoplasty according to Reidy Adamson-s flap. Materials and Methods: Ten patients were enrolled in the study. Orbicularis oculi muscle functionality was investigated with electroneurography before and at least 6 months after the surgical procedure. Investigated parameters are: Compound Muscle Action Potential (CMAP) as expressions of quantity of activated muscular fibers by the electrical stimulation of the facial nerve. Pre- and post-op collected data were compared and statistically analyzed. Results: The mean age was 52.9; minimum follow-up 6 months; twenty eyes were investigated; 1 patient was excluded. Postoperative data did not show any significant reduction in the CMAP at all. Conclusion: The study suggests that the buccal branch and medial branch of the zygomatic nerve of the facial nerve supplies efficiently to the orbicularis oculi innervation. Level of Evidence IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.