Abducens nerve palsy is the most common acquired ocular motor nerve palsy in adults. Chronic cases of abducens palsy often require surgical intervention to relieve disabling diplopia. The goal of this study was to identify factors associated with surgical outcomes in isolated abducens palsy. Medical records of all adult patients from 1988 to 2012 with abducens palsies who underwent strabismus procedures were retrospectively reviewed. Motor alignment, extraocular motility, and sensory outcomes were recorded. Success was defined as absence of diplopia without prisms or face turn, vertical deviation ≤2 prism dioptres (PD), and horizontal deviation ≤10 PD. Eighty-one patients (age range: 20-86 years) met inclusion criteria. Success was achieved in 58% of patients. Final success rates for abducens palsy were 50% for neoplastic, 59% traumatic, 57% for microvascular/unknown, and 67% for other central nervous system causes (p > 0.05). Patients with an underlying neoplastic or traumatic aetiology required more than one strabismus procedure more often than those with microvascular/idiopathic or other central nervous system causes (48% vs. 24%; p = 0.03). For complete abducens palsies, patients who underwent Hummelsheim-type procedures had a higher success rate than those who underwent a full-tendon vertical rectus muscle transposition. (78% versus 35%; p = 0.049). Success rates for strabismus procedures in patients with abducens palsies are similar across all aetiologies. Frequency of re-operation is higher among those patients with neoplastic or traumatic aetiologies for their abducens palsies. Hummelsheim-type procedures have a higher success rate for complete abducens palsies than full-tendon vertical rectus transpositions.
Keywords: Adjustable suture; cranial nerve palsy; hummelsheim; paralytic strabismus; sixth nerve palsy.