The use of computer‐aided design/computer‐aided manufacturing technologies in the treatment of endocrine orbitopathy: pro and contra

Abstract

AbstractPurposeTo study the advantages and disadvantages of using CAD/CAM technologies in the treatment of endocrine orbitopathy.MethodsResearch analysis of modern scientific publications, Sim Plant 13.02 software environment and Geomagic Freeform Plus.ResultsAccording to the literature, the frequency of complications of surgical decompression of the orbit is from 9.3% to 35% (most often ‐ the appearance of secondary diplopia, less often ‐ lesions of the hyoid nerve, cerebrospinal fluid leakage, epistaxis, bleeding in the orbit, etc. [Leong, 2009, Sellari‐Franceschini, 2016]. As patients today expect excellent functional and aesthetic results of surgical treatment, the urgent problem is to find new opportunities for planning and performing surgical decompression of the orbit, including the use of Computer‐Aided Design (CAD)/Computer‐Aided Manufacturing (CAM) technologies. Given the need for an individualized approach to the patient, the use of CAD/CAM technology in the treatment of endocrine orbitopathy has a number of advantages: obtaining three‐dimensional models of the skull expands the study of anatomy of the orbital walls, its volume, exophthalmos and minimization of intraoperative complications. The disadvantages of using CAD/CAM technologies are the multi‐stage and time‐consuming process (multislice computed tomography and data export to the software environment, segmentation of anatomical objects and creation of virtual three‐dimensional models, printing of resection surgical templates by stereolithography) and high cost.ConclusionsThe use of CAD/CAM technologies to optimize surgical decompression of the orbit in patients with endocrine orbitopathy has a number of advantages and disadvantages.