I had this procedure done by Dr. Robert Levine in 2004. I did not have a good experience with my spring. I wish I would have waited longer after my surgery to see what my eye lid would have done on its own. I had a 2.5 cm AN removed by Dr. Brackman, was left with some facial weakness on my right side, basically had paralysis to my Rt. side. I could not close my eye, so it was recommeded to have the spring placed. I was also told that in time, I would regain some of my facial movement. A few months after my eyelid spring was placed, I started to regain movement to my face, first around the nose-mouth area. My eye started feeling different too. I was at a point, that I just wanted it out. (Also, during the spring placement, you have to be awake, it was pure hell to lay and go through this. After the procedure, my eye had a lot of swelling and bruising, which is common. ) I just did not have a good experience with the whole thing, from the procedure to the Physician. It didn't help that I lived many states away.
I had my spring removed one year later by an Oculoplastic Surgeon closer to home, and my blink was present after the spring was removed. My blink is slower than my other eye, but it's there and I can also close my eye when I sleep. I don't know what your situation is on your AN, but the spring was not for me. Very invasive surgery. I think I would have been fine just waiting to see what my eye would do on its own, with of course, taking extra good care of my eye so I wouldn't have any damage to the inner eye. I do have a "dry eye" but that's from the nerve damage from the AN. Also have a little facial weakness, can't smile completely.
