Surgical Approach to Orbital Floor Fractures: Comparing Complication Rates Between Subciliary and Subconjunctival Approaches.

Abstract

There are multiple approaches to repairing orbital floor fractures. This study compares the postoperative complications of the subciliary and transconjunctival approaches. The electronic medical records from 2 hospitals were screened for CPT codes associated with orbital floor reconstruction. A total of 184 patients were identified and included in the study. Patient characteristics and complications were compared by surgical approach. Of the 184 patients, 82 (44.6%) were in the subciliary group and 102 (55.4%) were in the transconjunctival group. The overall postoperative complication rate was 25.5%. The most common of these were diplopia (11.4%), corneal injury (7.1%), proptosis (5.4%), and enopthalmos (4.9%). The complication rate was not statistically significant between the 2 groups. Subciliary and transconjunctival approaches to orbital floor repair are equally safe. This study is limited by a smaller sample size, and a larger study will likely be necessary to fully address this question.