Endoscopic Orbital Decompression: When and How?

Abstract

Objective: 1) Identify acute and chronic indications for orbital and/or optic nerve decompression. 2) Review known techniques for endoscopic orbital decompression. 3) Evaluate the necessity to include inferior orbital wall/orbital floor. 4) Compare and contrast the endoscopic technique in comparison to various open methods.

Method: Retrospective review of all patients that underwent endoscopic orbital decompression procedures between 2009 and 2011. Data analysis included review of perioperative clinical findings, operative technical details, radiology data, and outcomes.

Results: A total of 15 orbital decompressions were performed. All patients underwent endoscopic medial orbital wall decompression, 2 included the orbital floor. The majority of the patients had allergic fungal sinusitis as their primary diagnosis for surgical indication (n = 7, 47%). Neoplasms (n = 5, 33%) and Graves disease (n = 3, 20%) were the remaining diagnoses. Restricted ocular motility, proptosis, and diplopia were the most common presentations indicating surgery (n = 13, 11 and 8, respectively). Resolution of diplopia was observed in all patients, but delayed in Graves patients (2-3 months). Proptosis improved in 7 patients (64%), without any significant difference among those including orbital floor.

Conclusion: The endoscopic technique for orbital decompression is a safe and less invasive alternative to currently used open approaches. Sufficient medial wall decompression may yield sufficient outcomes, precluding the need for including the orbital floor. Further objective outcomes data is needed to compare proptosis among various modes of endoscopic decompression techniques.