Affiliation:
1. Department of Neurological Surgery Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York Presbyterian Hospital New York New York USA
2. Department of Neurology Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York Presbyterian Hospital New York New York USA
Abstract
AbstractBackgroundBotulinum toxin is an effective treatment for hemifacial spasm in elderly patients. However, some patients do not tolerate the side effects and frequency of botulinum toxin treatments.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of a cohort of elderly patients referred by neurologists for surgical decompression of the facial nerve following botulinum toxin treatment.MethodsIn a prospective cohort study, logistic regression was used to detect potential predictors of spasm‐freedom after surgical decompression of the facial nerve in elderly patients that received ≤8 and >8 botulinum toxin treatments for hemifacial spasm before surgery. Age, sex, side, preoperative symptom duration, and preoperative botulinum toxin treatment were assessed as potential predictors of spasm‐freedom at last follow‐up.ResultsOf 76 elderly patients with hemifacial spasm treated with botulinum toxin and microvascular decompression, with at least 2‐years of follow‐up (median, 44.5 months), 84.2% were spasm‐free at last follow‐up. Age (P = 0.38), sex (P = 0.59), side (P = 0.15), preoperative symptom duration (P = 0.7), and number of preoperative botulinum toxin treatments (P = 0.3) were not predictors of long‐term spasm‐freedom. Permanent ipsilateral hearing loss was the most frequent complication (3.9%).ConclusionThis study provides evidence that elderly patients can undergo botulinum toxin treatment for hemifacial spasm without compromising their likelihood of achieving spasm‐freedom with future surgical decompression. Therefore, surgical decompression of the facial nerve is an effective therapy for elderly patients with hemifacial spasm refractory to botulinum toxin.