Intraoperative use of lateral spread response measurement in the upper orbicularis oculi and mandibular muscles in patients with hemifacial spasm after botulinum toxin treatment.

[BACKGROUND] Following repeated botulinum toxin (BTX) treatments, patients with hemifacial spasm (HFS) are recommended to undergo microvascular decompression (MVD) for a permanent cure. Intraoperative lateral spread response (LSR) monitoring is important to improve surgical outcomes. However, LSR monitoring during MVD surgery in HFS patients who have previously received BTX is challenging, since the muscles typically used to assess the LSR are paralyzed. Here, we describe our use of the upper part of the orbicularis oculi and mentalis muscles for intraoperative monitoring of the LSR during MVD in HFS patients following BTX treatment.

[METHODS] HFS patients who underwent MVD surgery were divided into two groups based on their history of BTX treatment: BTX+ and BTX- groups. In the BTX+ group, MVD was performed at least 3 months after the last BTX injection. We measured LSR morphology, including the number of spikes, their duration, and maximum amplitude in all patients. We also measured intraoperative LSR disappearance rate, and the cure rate of HFS at the final follow-up (over 1 year after surgery).

[RESULTS] Although the waveforms showed a trend toward shorter durations with mandibular branch stimulation in the BTX+ group, there was no difference in the number of spikes or maximum amplitude values. There was no increase in LSR dysmetria after BTX treatment (BTX+ group: 32.8% vs. BTX- group: 31.9%). There was also no difference in intraoperative LSR disappearance rate between the two groups (BTX+ group: 68.3% vs. BTX- group: 74.6%).

[CONCLUSION] Intraoperative LSR monitoring using the upper part of the orbicularis oculi muscle and the mentalis muscle at an interval of at least 3 months after the last BTX treatment might be a feasible monitoring technique during MVD for HFS.