Eyelid Weight Exchange?

[Runnergirl]

Hi. I had an 4.5cm AN removed on November 17th, 2005 and had the gold weight put in my right eyelid on December 5th. My recovery has been great ( I am running and swimming), back to work and feeling good.


But... I still have facial paralysis on the right side and hence the eyelid weight is necessary. I am still experiencing dry eye, irriation and the doctor (dr. Slonim in Tampa, FL) suggested exchanging the weight that I have in (1.6 g) for a  2.4 g.

Has anyone had to exchange the weight in their eyelid and if so, did it help relieve the symptoms? Was it worth another surgery??

Dr. Bartels and Dr. Van Lovern in Tampa performed my surgery and they have been excellent. Of course they can't predict how long the facial paralysis will last (I don't think it is permanent but how do you know???)

But if I am going to have the eyelid weight in, I would like to make sure it is working as well as it can be...

Thank you,

Noelle

[Joef]

I had a 4cm AN in Aug .. and It sounds like your doing better than me !! however I'm back to work (10 hour days), and the normal routine now .. but I still have facial paralysis .. but it does feel better now .. I can drink from a bottle!! (as long as I got try to drink fast) but I cant smile :-)
I don't have a eye weight, but still use drops or lacri lube at night, I have "some" eye closure, but not enough ....

are you using enough drops?

[Runnergirl]

Hi Joe,
Yes, I am using liquigels which helps keep my eye very lubricated. I wear glasses while I am outside. How did you get by without having an eyelid weight? I could not have gotten by without it.

I am hesitate about having the eyelid weight exchanged for a heavier weight...that is the decision I am trying to make right now..

It sounds like you are recovering well too!

Noelle

[Rc Moser]

Joef, they have stick on weights you can use at night, I had on inserted for awhile. I wish I would of just got the stick on. Made the inside of my eyelid raw. Maybe scare tissue. You can also get you some motorcycle goggles to were out side in the wind and dust, especially if you mow your grass. Keeps you eye feeling much better. I use Motorcycle goggles in the cold air when I walk the dog, works great. My eye is watering some, but can't keep up in any wind. Cool air seems to dry it out quicker IMO.

[Runnergirl]

Hi again..I could really use some feedback on my eyelid weight situation.

I am wondering if anyone who has the eyelid weight still suffers from dry eye (as a result of facial paralysis) and still has to use drops etc..

I have a 1.6 gram gold weight in my eyelid and am thinking abouit exchanging it for a 2.4 gram weight. I am wondeing if having surgery to put in a heavier weight  is going to be worth it.( My dry eye isn't too bad but I have not been able to wear my contact and am using liquigels 3x a day)


My eyelid surgery is scheduled for March 6th and would really appreciate any feeback.

[RadiantStar]

This may sound silly, but have you considered a second opinion about this upcoming surgery?  I would opt for a less invasive procedure (if there is one) and be sure that the weight would alleviate the dry eye problems you're having BEFORE I let another surgery procedure occur!!!!

I had my AN surgery Nov 28th 2005 right after you did.  I did not have a weight put in my eye, but have dry eye.  My eye closes and blinks and cries tears, so I am waiting for it to heal. 

I am going to see the 2nd Opthamologist in March to discuss the health of my eye, and get some non-surgical solutions.  (not anxious for any other surgeries at the moment, as long as the eye is healthy)  The lube at night and the drops in the daytime are a fact of life at the moment, and it does get hard being patient for me at least.

How severe is your paralysis?  Does your eye function at all tears, blinking ect?  I am very interested in hearing how and what you decide.

Good luck, my thoughts are with you.

Kathleen

[DeniseSmith]

Runner,
I had the weight put in in November 2005.

After my surgery and prior to the weight being put in I could not close my left eye.  Even with the weight in,  my eye does not blink all the way, so I have to use drops throughout the day.   I have no tearing in my left eye.  Since my weight was put in, I am able to close my eye and  I only use the lacrilube at night when I sleep.  I have facial paralysis on my left side. Nobody knows if it is permanent or not, my facial nerve was severed during surgery.    Putting in drops all the time can be a pain, but prior to my surgery from May to November, 2005,  six long months  I had to tape my eye shut when I slept. Believe me, I'd rather put drops in every hour, than have to tape my eye shut ever again.

Denise

[Jeanlea]

Hi Runner,

I had my AN surgery September 6, 2006.  I had a 1.4 gold weight put in before I left the hospital.  I remember them saying they wanted to use the lightest weight possible.  They had to get a heavy enough one that would close over my "bulging" eyeball.  I can close my eye fairly well even when I'm laying down which the gold weight isn't supposed to help.  I also put liquigel in my eye every hour and a half.  It's very dry here in winter and I don't want to take a chance on it drying out.  But that means I haven't seen clearly in that eye since my surgery.  At night I put in a lacrilube type substance, but I no longer tape it shut. 

My eye doctor sent me to another eye doctor who wants to life the lower lid and sew the corner partially shut.  They are concerned because along with not blinking or tearing, I don't have any feeling in the eye.  I scheduled the surgery, but I'm pretty sure I will cancel it.  It's supposed to be temporary anyway.  My philosophy is if everything is alright why should I change it.  (Could have said that before my AN surgery too, I suppose.)  The most difficult part of taking care of your eye is knowing when the movement will come back. 


Does your doctor think that your eye will blink on its own with a heavier weight?  Good luck with your decision.

Jean

[Rc Moser]

I was told and what I have read the 8th nerve controls the watering of the eye. I am two years out and eye watering is minimumal at the most. IMO the eye weight is for when you sleeping so you eye will stay closed so it won't dry out, I also had to use the grease for the first 4 months. IMO during the day you have to use the drops and in the wind and cold were goggles or your eye will dry out very quickly. Any wind on my eye dries if out. ALso my AN side eye don't blink automatically as the other eye (you have to tell it to blink IMO), therefore it dried out much quicker. I think it takes a few years for the eye to even come close to normal for us who had large ANs due to the 8th nerve was stetched very thin. I used eye drops by the  boxes up to about two year period. I now rarely have to use them, but I don't go out in the cold or wind with goggles on. Walking from the parking lot to where I would will dry my eye out in cold windy conditions. Warm days don't bother me as bad. Any dust in the air I were goggles like when I'm mowing and of course eye plug and muffs.

[net6192]

I am interested in finding more information about the stick on eye weights that you can use at night.  Where can I get them?  I checked with my eye doctor and she has not gotten back to me yet.  I had my surgery in Dec. 2005.  I still have facial paralysis and my eye does not blink so I continue to use lacrilube because the other stuff just doesn't seem to work for me.  I would live to try the stick on eye weight to help the eye muscle get stronger to work on it's own before I opted for the surgery. 

Elaine 

[Runnergirl]

Thanks everyone for your comments regarding the eyelid weight exchange. For now, I have decided to not have the exchange. I am learning to manage the eye care better. I am using a liquigel in it a few times during the day, so it is blurry most of the time.  I am still not able to wear a contact.

I am 14 weeks post op and am back to running and swimming. (and work of course...) I am grateful that I have recovered so well.


Noelle

[Terri]

Runnergirl: If you are only 14 weeks post-op, your decision to skip surgery was a wise one. The heavier gold weight you were considering could have caused your eyelid to droop significantly. I am surprised by the size of the weight (2.4 gm) your surgeon recommended. My surgeon said 80% of cases use a 1 gm weight, and the rest require slightly lighter weights (0.8 gm) or slightly heavier. 2.4 grams is really heavy.

As for those considering the stick-on weights: I tried those first, and they are a major pain. The weight sags further and further after application, and eventually it falls off. The double-stick adhesive can't deal with gravity and the normal operation of skin (sweating, etc.) Plus, cosmetically, they look funny. Meddev is the manufacturer of both the stick-on weights and the surgically implanted ones. I don't believe stick-on weights are available except through a physician.

Terri

[Gloriann]

I had a gold weight inserted into my left eyelid about a week after my AN surgury, back in 2001. This was done while I was still in the hospital. I was very disappointed that my eye dried out for months following the surgury,  in spite of the gold weight being in the eyelid. I used lots and lots of artificial tears during the daytime and ointment at night.  I deceided to buy a patch (like a pirate patch) to wear over my eye at times when it felt dried out, (felt like "something was in my eye") and this gave me IMMEDIATE RELIEF! I  sometimes would even sleep with the patch over my eye.
My eye began making its own tears one day about 9 months following my surgury and there has been a great deal of improvement in the way it feels ever since. I never have to wear the patch anymore.