Oculoplastic Surgeries

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Eyelid Surgeries - Lid Lifters & Fixers

Eyelid Anatomy for Oculoplastic Surgery

  • Corrective procedures for eyelid malpositions (ptosis, entropion, ectropion) and aesthetic enhancement (blepharoplasty). Surgical choice depends on underlying cause and severity.

  • Blepharoplasty:

    • Upper: Excision of redundant skin (dermatochalasis) ± orbicularis muscle/fat. Improves visual field obstruction.
    • Lower: Addresses fat prolapse (bags) & skin laxity via transconjunctival or transcutaneous approach.
  • Entropion Repair (Inward lid turn):

    • Aims to evert lid margin. Common: Lateral Tarsal Strip, Wies procedure, Quickert sutures.
  • Ectropion Repair (Outward lid turn):

    • Aims to invert lid margin. Common: Medial Spindle, Lateral Tarsal Strip, Bick's procedure.

⭐ Gold standard for severe congenital ptosis with poor levator function (<4mm) is frontalis sling surgery using autologous fascia lata.

Lacrimal Surgeries - No More Tears!

Dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) tear duct surgery

  • Goal: Relieve epiphora from Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction (NLDO).
  • Congenital NLDO (CNLDO): If massage fails by 6-12 months → Probing. Persistent → DCR/Intubation.
  • Acquired NLDO:
    • Dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR): Anastomosis between lacrimal sac & nasal mucosa.
      • External DCR: Gold standard, success >90%.
      • Endonasal DCR: No external scar.
    • Dacryocystectomy (DCT): Sac removal (e.g., tumor, severe dry eye, failed DCRs). Epiphora persists.
    • Canalicular Obstruction: Requires specific repair (e.g., Canaliculodacryocystorhinostomy (CDCR) with Jones Tube).

⭐ External DCR is the gold standard for acquired NLDO, creating an anastomosis between the lacrimal sac and nasal mucosa, with success rates typically exceeding 90%.

Orbital Surgeries - Deep Dive Rescues

  • Indications: Trauma (blowout #), tumors, Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) (compressive optic neuropathy/severe proptosis), orbital abscess.
  • Orbital Decompression:
    • Goal: ↑ Orbital volume, ↓ Intraocular Pressure (IOP), relieve optic nerve compression.
    • Sites: Medial/floor (common), lateral wall (balanced decompression), fat removal.
    • Primarily for Graves' orbitopathy.
  • Orbitotomy:
    • Surgical entry into the orbit.
    • Approaches: Anterior (transconjunctival/transcutaneous), lateral (e.g., Stallard-Wright), transcranial.
    • Uses: Tumor biopsy/excision, foreign body removal, abscess drainage.
  • Blowout Fracture (#) Repair:
    • Common sites: Orbital floor (inferior wall), medial wall.
    • Signs: Diplopia, enophthalmos >2mm, muscle entrapment (restricted movement), infraorbital nerve anesthesia.
    • Timing: Ideally within 2 weeks to prevent fibrosis.
  • Key Complications: Vision loss (e.g., Optic Nerve Head ischemia, retrobulbar hemorrhage), persistent diplopia, Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) leak, infection, paresthesia.

⭐ > In orbital floor blowout fractures, entrapment of the inferior rectus muscle can cause restricted upgaze and a positive forced duction test.

Socket Surgeries - The Empty Eye Story

  • Indications: Blind painful eye, intraocular malignancy (retinoblastoma, melanoma), severe trauma, phthisis bulbi, sympathetic ophthalmia prevention, cosmesis.
  • Procedures:
    • Evisceration: Intraocular contents removed; sclera +/- cornea, Extraocular Muscles (EOMs) preserved.
      • Avoid if malignancy suspected.
    • Enucleation: Entire globe + optic nerve portion removed; EOMs detached & reattached to implant.
      • For tumors, severe trauma.
    • Exenteration: Globe + all orbital contents removed (eyelids, EOMs, fat). For invasive orbital malignancies.
  • Orbital Implants: Restore volume, aid motility. Types: Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) (non-porous), Hydroxyapatite, Porous Polyethylene (porous).
  • Complications: Post-Enucleation Socket Syndrome (PESS), contracted socket, implant exposure/extrusion, ptosis.
  • Rehabilitation: Ocular prosthesis; conformer used for 4-6 weeks post-operatively before prosthetic fitting.

Evisceration surgical steps and implant placement

⭐ Enucleation within 2 weeks of severe penetrating ocular trauma is considered prophylactic against sympathetic ophthalmia in the fellow eye.

High‑Yield Points - ⚡ Biggest Takeaways

  • DCR for NLDO; External DCR has higher success than Endoscopic.
  • Involutional entropion: Wies procedure; Ectropion: lateral tarsal strip.
  • Ptosis surgery: Levator resection if levator function >4mm; frontalis sling if <4mm.
  • Enucleation: globe removal; Evisceration: preserves sclera; Exenteration: all orbital contents.
  • Orbital decompression for compressive optic neuropathy in Thyroid Eye Disease.
  • Chalazion: Incision & Curettage (I&C) for persistent lesions_._

Practice Questions: Oculoplastic Surgeries

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Blow out fracture of orbit commonly involves:-

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Flashcards: Oculoplastic Surgeries

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The most important factor in the prevention of postoperative endophthalmitis is preoperative preparation with _____.

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The most important factor in the prevention of postoperative endophthalmitis is preoperative preparation with _____.

povidone iodine

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