Surgically mismanaged ptosis associated with double elevator palsy.

The primary goal in mismanaged as well as untreated cases of combined double elevator muscle palsy and ptosis is alleviation of the paretic ocular motor imbalance to correct pseudoptosis, followed, if necessary, by levator resection to correct any residual true ptosis component. The great hypotropia often found in double elevator muscle palsy should be corrected, preferably by a muscle transposition procedure combined, in certain cases, with inferior rectus muscle recession if the inferior rectus muscle has contracted. Only in young patients can these two surgical procedures be safely combined, particularly if it is desirable to decrease the number of general anesthetics that the patient must take. Only after proper management of the paretic strabismus should the levator be resected, because, in certain cases, extraocular muscle surgery will completely abolish the upper lid ptosis.