Orbital Surgery Techniques

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Orbital Anatomy & Approaches - Socket Blueprints

  • Orbital Walls & Contents:

    • Roof: Frontal bone, lesser wing of sphenoid.
    • Floor: Maxilla, zygomatic, palatine. Weakest point: posteromedial floor (risk of blowout #).
    • Medial: Maxilla (frontal process), lacrimal, ethmoid (lamina papyracea - thin!), sphenoid (body).
    • Lateral: Zygomatic, greater wing of sphenoid. Strongest wall.
    • Apex: Optic canal (CN II, ophthalmic artery), superior orbital fissure (CN III, IV, V1, VI, sympathetic fibers, superior ophthalmic vein).
    • Contents: Globe, EOMs, nerves, vessels, fat, lacrimal gland.
  • Surgical Spaces: Extraconal, intraconal, subperiosteal, sub-Tenon's.

  • Common Surgical Approaches:

    • Anterior: Transconjunctival (inferior fornix, medial), transcutaneous (subciliary/Lynch/eyelid crease).
    • Lateral: Stallard-Wright orbitotomy.
    • Superior: Transcranial (neurosurgical).
    • Medial: Transcaruncular, endoscopic endonasal.

⭐ The lamina papyracea of the ethmoid bone is a paper-thin medial wall component, making it susceptible to fracture and infection spread from sinuses (orbital cellulitis).

Orbital Decompression Techniques - Pressure Drop Zone

*Goal: ↓ Orbital pressure, relieve optic nerve compression (ONC), ↓ proptosis. *Indications: - Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) with compressive optic neuropathy (CON) - Severe proptosis / exposure - Cosmesis *Bony Wall Removal (Creating Pressure Drop Zones): - Medial wall → Ethmoid sinus (max volume gain/wall) - Inferior wall (Floor) → Maxillary sinus - Lateral wall → Temporalis fossa / Greater wing of sphenoid - Balanced (2-3 walls) for graded effect. *Adjunct: Orbital fat decompression.

Orbital decompression bone removal areas

⭐ Medial wall decompression provides the most significant proptosis reduction per wall (approx. 4-6 mm) by using the ethmoid sinus as a pressure drop zone. *Complications: Diplopia (most common, esp. with floor/medial), sinusitis, hypoglobus, infraorbital anesthesia, CSF leak. 📌 Mnemonic for common walls: "My Floor Later" (Medial, Floor, Lateral).

Orbital Tumour Surgery Techniques - Lesion Eviction

  • Goal: Complete tumour removal (excision) or debulking, preserving vision & function.
  • Approach Selection: Based on tumour location, size, nature (benign/malignant), & surgeon expertise.
    • Anterior Orbitotomy:

      • For lesions in anterior 1/3 of orbit.
      • Transconjunctival or transcutaneous (e.g., eyelid crease, subciliary, Lynch incisions).
    • Lateral Orbitotomy (Kronlein):

      • Access to lateral, posterior, & apical lesions.
      • Involves temporary removal of lateral orbital wall.
      • Provides wide exposure.
    • Medial Orbitotomy:

      • For medial orbital wall lesions; often combined with ENT (transcaruncular, Lynch).
    • Superior Orbitotomy:

      • Transcranial (neurosurgical collaboration) for superior/apical lesions extending intracranially.
    • Inferior Orbitotomy:

      • Transconjunctival or subciliary approach for floor lesions.
  • Techniques: Meticulous dissection, haemostasis, use of specialized orbital instruments.

High-Yield Fact: For intraconal tumours, lateral orbitotomy often provides the best access while minimizing risk to the optic nerve and extraocular muscles.

  • Considerations: Biopsy (incisional/excisional), frozen section, reconstruction if needed (e.g., orbital implants).

Orbital Trauma & Reconstruction Techniques - Fix & Fill

  • Fracture Types: Blowout (floor/medial wall), ZMC, NOE.
  • Key Signs: Diplopia, enophthalmos (>2mm), hypoglobus, infraorbital anesthesia, restricted motility (FDT+).
  • Surgical Timing: Early (≤2 wks) for entrapment; later for enophthalmos.
  • "Fix": Anatomic reduction & rigid fixation (plates/screws).
  • "Fill": Volume restoration: implants (autograft-bone; alloplast-Ti mesh, Medpor, PDS).
    • Approaches: Transconjunctival, subciliary, transcaruncular. Orbital blowout fracture repair with implant

⭐ In pure blowout fractures, "white-eyed blowout fracture" (minimal external signs, significant motility restriction, often in children) requires urgent repair to prevent muscle ischemia.

High‑Yield Points - ⚡ Biggest Takeaways

  • Transconjunctival approach: Scarless access for anterior/inferior orbital lesions.
  • Lateral orbitotomy (Krönlein): For deep lateral/posterior lesions; risk of CN VII palsy.
  • Orbital Decompression: For Graves' optic neuropathy/proptosis; involves bone/fat removal.
  • Endoscopic surgery: Minimally invasive for medial/apical lesions, including optic nerve decompression.
  • Biopsy: FNA (cytology), incisional/excisional (histology), guided by lesion characteristics.
  • Intraoperative navigation: Increasingly used for complex cases to improve safety.
  • Major risks: Vision loss, diplopia, CSF leak, retrobulbar hemorrhage.

Practice Questions: Orbital Surgery Techniques

Test your understanding with these related questions

A young girl with a previous history of repeated pain over the medial canthus and chronic use of decongestants now presents with intense chills, rigors, and diplopia on lateral gaze. Examination shows an optic disc that is congested. The most likely diagnosis would be:

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Flashcards: Orbital Surgery Techniques

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Purulent inflammation of the soft tissues of the orbit is known as _____.

TAP TO REVEAL ANSWER

Purulent inflammation of the soft tissues of the orbit is known as _____.

orbital cellulitis

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