Fat Decompression Research Articles

Retracted: Changes of Volume Parameters in the Treatment of Graves Ophthalmopathy by Endoscopic Transethmoidal Decompression of the Orbital Inner Wall Combined with Fat Decompression.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2022/8149247.].

Outcomes of orbital decompression for thyroid eye disease over a 10-year period at a tertiary eye care referral center

Background: Orbital decompression is frequently indicated to treat exophthalmos and compressive optic neuropathy, among other indications for thyroid eye disease (TED). This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of orbital decompression and compare the results by urgency and type of surgery in patients with TED.
 Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we recruited patients with TED who had undergone emergency or elective orbital decompression surgery at a tertiary eye care referral center in Tehran, Iran, between 2010 and 2020. Ophthalmic examination findings, demographic and clinical profiles, and types and outcomes of surgical interventions were reviewed and analyzed.
 Results: Fifty-one orbits of 35 patients with a mean (standard deviation [SD]) age of 36.2 (12.0) years and male-to-female ratio of 23 (66%)/12 (34%) were included. The mean (SD) duration from the diagnosis to the surgery was 41.0 (39.0) months. The surgical method was fat decompression in 1 (2%) orbit; fat and inferior wall decompressions in 2 (4%) orbits; fat, inferior, and medial wall (two-wall) decompressions in 43 (84%) orbits; and fat, inferior, medial, and lateral wall (three-wall) decompressions in five (10%) orbits. Three-wall decompression surgery resulted in significantly lower exophthalmometry readings than those associated with two-wall surgery at all postoperative follow-ups (P < 0.05). Ten (20%) orbits required emergency decompression because of sight-threatening conditions and revealed comparable exophthalmometry readings with electively decompressed orbits at the 1-year visit (P > 0.05). Thirty-seven (73%) orbits required other surgeries within the 1-year follow-up. The mean (SD) exophthalmometry readings before and 1-year after surgery were 26.3 (4.0) and 18.3 (2.7) mm, respectively, with a significant decrease and significant 5.5 (3.3)-mm change from baseline in decompressed orbits (both P < 0.001). Diplopia was reported in 29% (n = 10) of patients less than 2 months postoperatively.
 Conclusions: Emergency or elective orbital decompression significantly reduced exophthalmos in patients with TED within 1 year postoperatively. Three-wall orbital decompression produced the more immediate impact, while two-wall orbital decompression showed the higher effect at a later timepoint. The most common complication was diplopia, while other serious complications occurred infrequently. Further prospective comparative studies involving more participants and longer postoperative follow-up periods are required to verify these preliminary findings.

Surgical treatment of thyroid orbitopathy

Thyroid Orbitopathy is manifestation of Grave’s Disease that affects eyes and orbital area. It occurs in the active and inactive phase, during which different signs are presented. When Thyroid Orbitopathy reaches its advanced phase it should be operated, to avoid complications like proptosis or optic nerve neuropathy. Usually, the first choice is orbital fat decompression. However, it is often not enough and bony decompression is necessary. Surgery of the strabismus is also crucial for patient’s quality of life. Its aim is to restore visual field as wide as it is possible. Last step in surgical interventions is eyelid correction to prevent keratopathy and improve esthetic aspects.

The outcomes of endoscopic orbital decompression combined with fat decompression for thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy

PurposeTo present the clinical features of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) with different CT types, and to report the outcomes of endoscopic orbital decompression combined with fat decompression (EOD-FD).Patients and methodsThirty-four patients with TAO who underwent EOD-FD between December 2020 and March 2022 in the Ophthalmology Department of Li Huili Hospital Affiliated with Ningbo University, were included in this retrospective interventional case series. Patients were categorized into two groups based on the results of computerized tomography (CT) scans: muscle expansion type and fat hyperplasia type.ResultsThirty-four TAO patients (55 eyes) were included in this study, and the mean age was 38.62 years (range 22–60 years). The average eye protrusion (EP) reduced from preoperative 23.20 mm to postoperative 19.66 mm (p < 0.0001). Mean intraocular pressure (IOP) decreased from 20.11 mmHg at baseline to 17.29 mmHg postoperatively (p < 0.0001), with a reduction of 2.84 mmHg (14.12%). Twenty cases of muscle expansion and fourteen cases of fat hyperplasia were definite by CT imaging. The mean IOP in the muscle expansion group was higher than that in the fat hyperplasia group (p < 0.05). Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) occurred in 23 eyes (36.11%), and it was associated with extraocular muscle involvement, gender, and EP. In 3 cases of impaired vision, the mean best corrected visual acuity (VA) improved from 0.4 preoperatively to 0.84 postoperatively (p < 0.01). There were 8 cases with visual field (VF) damage and/or corneal epithelium damage, and all these damages were reversible.ConclusionIn this study, we describe the clinical features and experience of EOD-FD in patients with TAO. EOD-FD is an effective technique in reducing IOP and proptosis, with a low incidence of postoperative diplopia.

Comparison of the effects of orbital decompression in Graves' ophthalmopathy

Abstract Introduction Graves' disease is an autoimmune disorder. One of the symptoms is an overgrowth of the soft tissues of the orbit. Orbital involvement can cause exophthalmos, diplopia, or vision loss. Treatment strategies include a surgical approach that limits the ailments mentioned above. Decompression can be achieved by reducing the amount of enlarged tissues (fat removal) or increasing the space for enlarged tissues (bone removal). Numerous authors discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various techniques in terms of reducing the exophthalmos, the number and persistence of complications, and the long-term prognosis. Materials and Methods A literature search of PubMed and the Poznan University of Medical Sciences Main Medical Library resources from 1993–2022 was performed. Thirty articles were reviewed with attention to the surgical treatment of Graves' ophthalmopathy. Results The main surgical techniques include fat decompression and bone wall decompression. The results of exophthalmos fat removal are characterized by a significant decrease in proptosis (5.45mm) with a small percentage of newly formed diplopia (9%). Bone reduction in the lateral wall of the orbit shows similar effects: reducing exophthalmos (4.33mm) and the newly formed diplopia, as with fat removal (3.7%). Bone reduction in the medial- lateral wall, medial- inferior- lateral wall, and medial–inferior wall shows a decrease in proptosis ( 4.9 mm, 4.6 mm, 3.77 mm) and a higher percentage of new-onset diplopia (18%, 15%, 28%). Conclusion The smallest amount of newly formed diplopia at the highest proptosis reduction occurs with the self-removal of fat or resection of the lateral orbital wall.

Changes of Volume Parameters in the Treatment of Graves Ophthalmopathy by Endoscopic Transethmoidal Decompression of the Orbital Inner Wall Combined with Fat Decompression.

Objective To observe the orbital volume changes and the analysis of surgical effect of Graves orbitopathy (GO) after endoscopic medial wall decompression combined with muscle cone fat. Methods Twenty-two patients (30 eyes) with Graves orbital disease who visited the Department of Ophthalmology of Ningbo Medical Center from December 2019 to September 2021 were retrospectively collected. All patients were diagnosed as nonorganic active stage before operation, and all of them received endoscopic transethmoidal decompression of the medial orbital wall combined with intramuscular orbital fat decompression due to decreased vision, visual field defect or color vision disorder, and concomitant proptosis. Regular follow-up after operation. The curative effect is judged according to the degree of improvement of visual acuity, color vision, degree of correction of exophthalmos, diplopia, and other complications at 9 months after operation. Orbital CT combined with computer aided measurement software (Mimics 21) was used to measure the changes of orbital volume before and after exophthalmos surgery. The relationship between the value and eyeball regression is analyzed. Results Preoperative exophthalmos ranged from 17.4 mm to 27.6 mm, with an average of (22.08 ± 2.86) mm. The postoperative exophthalmos was 14-25 mm, with an average of (19.52 ± 3.10) mm. Among them, 7 eyes (23.3%) had exophthalmos regression less than 1 mm, 6 eyes (20%) had a regression of 1-2 mm, 7 eyes (23.3%) had a regression of 2-3 mm, 5 eyes (16.7%) had a regression of 3-4 mm, and 5 eyes (16.7%) had a regression of 4-5.3 mm. The exophthalmos after operation was significantly lower than that before operation, and the difference was statistically significant (t = 9.909, P < 0.05). The preoperative orbital volume was 18.6 cm3-25.3 cm3 with an average of (22.39 ± 1.91) cm3. The postoperative orbital volume was 19.8 cm3-26.6 cm3, with an average of (23.89 ± 1.90) cm3.The orbital volume change range is 0.1 cm3-3.8 cm3, and the average orbital volume change is (1.51 ± 1.00) cm3. Compared with preoperative orbital volume, the difference was statistically significant (t = −8.074, P < 0.05). Conclusion Endoscopic decompression of the medial orbital wall through the ethmoid approach combined with decompression of the orbital fat within the muscle cone can effectively correct the exophthalmos while decompressing the orbital apex, and it is minimally invasive and has no facial scars. It has the advantages of extremely low incidence of postoperative diplopia and eye shift. There is a significant correlation between orbital volume changes and the regression of exophthalmos, which can provide reference for clinical guidance of surgical methods and prediction of surgical results.

Robot-Assisted Orbital Fat Decompression Surgery: First in Human.

PurposeTo explore the safety and feasibility of robot-assisted orbital fat decompression surgery.MethodsTen prospectively enrolled patients (18 eyes) with Graves’ ophthalmopathy underwent robot-assisted orbital fat decompression surgery with the da Vinci Xi surgical system. Intraoperative blood loss, operative time, and complications were recorded. For every patient, the exophthalmos of the operated eyes and Graves’ orbitopathy quality of life (GO-QoL) were measured both preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively to assess the surgical effect.ResultsAll surgical procedures were successfully performed. The mean duration to complete the whole procedure was 124.3 ± 33.2 minutes (range, 60–188). The mean intraoperative blood loss was 17.8 ± 6.2 mL (range, 7.5–28). There were neither complications nor unexpected events in terms of either orbital decompression surgery or robot-assisted procedures. The mean exophthalmos was 20.2 ± 1.8 mm before surgery and 17.9 ± 1.4 mm postoperatively (P < 0.0001). The preoperative and postoperative GO-QoL on the visual function arm was 84.38 ± 20.04 and 93.75 ± 9.32, respectively. The preoperative and postoperative GO-QoL on the appearance arm was 42.50 ± 14.97 and 64.38 ± 21.46, respectively (P = 0.027).ConclusionsThe da Vinci Xi surgical system provided the stability, dexterity, and good visualization necessary for orbital fat decompression surgery, indicating the safety and feasibility of robot-assisted orbital fat decompression surgery.Translational RelevanceBased on a literature search using EMBASE and MEDLINE databases, we believe that this study reports the first in-human results of the safety and effectiveness of da Vinci robot-assisted orbital fat decompression surgery.

Surgical Treatment of Proptosis due to High-axial Myopia During Lower Eyelid Blepharoplasty in Identical Twins.

Unilateral high-axial myopia can be associated with amblyopia and relative proptosis due to elongation of the eye and staphyloma formation. It is important to consider addressing any relative proptosis at the time of a lower eyelid blepharoplasty as the proptotic eye often creates a significant negative vector and increases the likelihood of postoperative retraction and scleral show. We present twin sisters who presented for a lower eyelid blepharoplasty evaluation; each sister had unilateral proptosis with high-axial myopia. Both underwent bilateral lower eyelid blepharoplasty and unilateral fat decompression in the proptotic eye. One sister required additional medial wall bony decompression to resolve the proptosis at the time of the aforementioned surgery. Therefore, it is important to consider globe position and degree of proptosis at the time of lower eyelid blepharoplasty surgery to optimize surgical results.

Extraocular muscle expansion after deep lateral orbital wall decompression: influence on proptosis reduction and its predictive factors.

To examine the relationship between extraocular muscle expansion and proptosis reduction (Δproptosis) in patients with thyroid eye disease who underwent deep lateral orbital wall decompression and to analyze the factors that contribute to extraocular muscle expansion. This retrospective, observational study included 133 sides from 77 patients with thyroid eye disease. The cross-sectional areas of the greater wing of the sphenoid bone (trigone), extraocular muscles, and superior ophthalmic vein were measured on computed tomographic images. Variables influencing Δproptosis were analyzed using multivariate linear regression analyses with stepwise variable selection. Predictive factors for the rate of postoperative increase in the cross-sectional extraocular muscle areas (Δextraocular muscle) were analyzed using the same statistical method. The amount of orbital fat removed (P < 0.001) and rate of Δlateral rectus muscle (P < 0.001) were positively and negatively correlated with Δproptosis, respectively (r = 0.425; adjusted r2 = 0.168; P < 0.001). The cross-sectional trigone area (P < 0.001) was positively correlated with the rate of Δlateral rectus muscle, whereas the preoperative cross-sectional lateral rectus muscle area (P < 0.001) and amount of orbital fat removed (P = 0.036) were negatively correlated with the rate of Δlateral rectus muscle (r = 0.551; adjusted r2 = 0.288; P < 0.001). Lateral rectus muscle expansion was negatively correlated with proptosis reduction and proved to be predictable before surgery. The results of this study will help predict proptosis reduction after deep lateral orbital wall decompression and to preoperatively plan additional orbital bony and fat decompression.

Effectiveness of orbital decompression for endocrine orbitopathy and impact on quality of life: A retrospective study

To evaluate the effectiveness of orbital decompression intervention in terms of variation of the exophthalmos and to highlight its association with changes in quality of life before and after surgery.Medical records of patients with moderate-severe GO who underwent orbital decompression surgery were retrospectively reviewed.Clinical parameters, including demographic characteristics, surgical technique, exophthalmos values, and QoL using the GO-QoL questionnaire were studied before and after orbital decompression and analyzed.Thirty patients were included in the study. Surgery was bilateral 26 patients and unilateral in 4 patients (56 operated orbits). Before surgery the average value of exophthalmometry was 24.96 (±2.68) mm. The questionnaires submitted for assessment of the quality of life (GO-QoL) yielded average values of 43.3 for the visual function (VF) and 44.03 for the appearance (AP). 20 patients (64.3%) underwent combined bone and fat decompression surgery, 9 underwent fat decompression, and 1 underwent bone decompression. After surgery, the average values of exophthalmometry were 21.8 (±2.34) mm, with an average reduction of 3.20 (±2.35) mm. (p < 0.0001) GO-QoL questionnaires administered after surgery showed a mean VF score of 76.73 (±26.75), and AP score of 73.71 (±21.89). (p < 0.001, paired t-test)Orbital decompressive surgery is not only effective on GO, but also on a long-term improvement in overall well-being, self-confidence and QoL.

A new radiological measurement method used to evaluate the modified transconjunctival orbital fat decompression surgery

PurposeA new radiological method was used to evaluate the plastic effect of modified transconjunctival orbital fat decompression surgery in patients with inactive thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy.MethodsIn this study, 10 inactive patients (14 eyes) with moderate to severe thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy were selected. The patients underwent modified transconjunctival orbital fat decompression surgery. According to the results of a spiral CT scan before and 6 months after the surgery, the INFINITT system workstation was used to measure the eyeball protrusion value. According to the results obtained by the PHLIPS IntelliSpace Portal elliptical area and line segment measurement tools, the standard elliptical vertebral volume formula was used to calculate the muscular cone inner volume. Changes in eyeball protrusion and the inner volume of the muscular cone before and after surgery were examined. Statistical analysis of the correlation between the two parameters was performed.ResultsRadiological measurement results confirmed that removing the orbital fat in the muscle cone during surgery was effective for alleviating eyeball protrusion in patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (P < 0.05). This surgery caused an obvious change in the muscle cone inner volume (P < 0.05). And there was significant correlation between changes in eyeball protrusion and muscle cone inner volume (r = 0.797, P = 0.0006, P < 0.05).ConclusionThe radiological assessment method used in this study is simple and easy to implement. For inactive patients with moderate to severe thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy who just want to improve their appearance, the modified orbital fat decompression surgery is worth considering.

Comparison of results and quality of life in patients with thyroid eye disease after different methods of orbital decompression

Purpose. To evaluate the changes in the quality of life of patients with thyroid eye disease after different methods of orbital decompression.&#x0D; Materials and methods. The study included 24 patients (37 orbits) with thyroid eye disease, aged 41.6 20.6 (from 20 to 79 years), 18 women and 6 men. The patients were divided into two groups. The first group included 12 patients (19 orbits) who underwent orbital fat decompression. The second group included 12 patients (18 orbits) who underwent endoscopic endonasal bony orbital decompression. The Graves ophthalmopathy quality of life questionnaire (GO-QOL) was completed before surgery, and 3 and 6 months after it. Outcome analysis included also the assessment of visual acuity, proptosis, eyelid retraction, and palpebral fissure height.&#x0D; Results. The GO-QOL visual function scores in both groups did not change significantly in 3 and in 6 months after orbital decompression (p 0.05): in the first group, before and after 6 months, scores were 69.27 20.02 and 68.96 18.44, in the second group 53.13 29.13 and 57.81 23.56, respectively. An improvement in the GO-QOL visual function estimation was observed in those patients whose visual acuity improved after surgery. The GO-QOL facial appearance scores significantly improved 3 months after surgery, and continued to increase up to 6 months: in the first group, facial appearance scores improved from 23.96 23.01 to 48.42 25.56 (p = 0.004), in the second group from 47.92 21.04 to 66.15 23.15 (p = 0.037).&#x0D; Conclusions. Orbital decompression significantly improves the quality of life of patients with thyroid eye disease, this is primarily associated with an improvement in facial appearance.

Balancing orbital volume reduction and redistribution for a tailored surgical treatment in Graves\u2019 ophthalmopathy

AimThe purpose of this study is to share our experience on the use of different orbital decompression techniques, as well as the principles followed for deciding the most case-appropriate procedure that ensured the most favorable outcomes.MethodsWe reviewed the Graves’ ophthalmopathy cases operated over the course of 14 years, regarding the presenting signs, the imaging evaluation, the degree of exophthalmos, the type of surgical orbital decompression performed, and the postoperative outcomes.ResultsAll 42 patients identified presented with proptosis, with 92.8% cases of bilateral proptosis. The main addressing concern was functional in 54.8% cases and aesthetic in 45.2% patients. CT was used for the preoperative evaluation in all cases. In total, 81 orbits were operated. The orbital decompression surgery involved only the orbital fat in 7.4% of orbits and associated fat and bone decompression in the other 92.6% of orbits. The postoperative results were favorable in all cases regarding both appearance and function, with minimal postoperative complications.ConclusionThe adequate selection of the most suitable procedure based on the characteristics of each case is the prerequisite for a successful surgery. We found that the association of fat and bone decompression of various extents is most permissive in tailoring the degree of decompression to the existing requirements.

Brown Syndrome from Local Anesthesia for Inferior Orbital Fat Decompression

Patient: Female, 36-year-oldFinal Diagnosis: Acquired Brown syndromeSymptoms: Diplopia • vertical diplopiaMedication: —Clinical Procedure: Local anesthesia • orbital fat decompressionSpecialty: OphthalmologyObjective:Unusual or unexpected effect of treatmentBackground:Vertical diplopia that follows local anesthesia is usually due to inferior rectus muscle fibrosis. Here, we report a rare case of acquired Brown syndrome following local anesthesia.Case Report:A 36-year-old woman underwent right inferior orbital fat decompression under local anesthesia. On the first postoperative day, she developed vertical diplopia. She had left hypertropia, which increased on left gaze, with limitation of elevation of the right eye on attempted adduction. Forced duction test of the right eye revealed resistance on elevation in adduction. Magnetic resonance imaging showed signal alteration, thickening, and irregularity involving the right superior oblique tendon and trochlea region. The diagnosis of iatrogenic Brown syndrome was made. Then, a single dose of 10 mg triamcinolone injection was given near the intratrochlear region. On follow-up, complete resolution of diplopia on primary gaze occurred 12 weeks after the incident.Conclusions:The reported case highlights that local anesthesia carries a risk of Brown syndrome. We believe bupivacaine-induced superior oblique hypertrophy is the underlying mechanism. The patient showed excellent outcome after medical management, with no surgical intervention required after 3 months of follow-up.

Efficacy and complications of orbital fat decompression in Graves’ orbitopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

In Graves’ orbitopathy, surgical decompression is often needed for functional and aesthetic reasons. This meta-analysis was performed to assess the efficacy and safety of fat removal orbital decompression (FROD) alone to treat exophthalmos in Graves’ orbitopathy. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library for studies published before August 2018. Random-effects meta-analyses were applied; weighted means and weighted proportions with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Study quality and quality of evidence for each individual outcome were analyzed. Of 1908 records initially identified, 13 observational studies were selected, representing 4820 orbits in 2514 patients. Weighted Hertel exophthalmometry was 23.10mm (95% CI 21.77–24.43mm) preoperative and 19.31mm (95% CI 17.81–20.81mm) postoperative. The weighted mean difference was 3.81mm (95% CI 3.41–4.21mm). Five studies reported an improvement of diplopia after surgery, occurring in 943 of 1172 patients (weighted proportion 0.50, 95% CI 0.15–0.85). Persistent new onset diplopia was reported in five studies, or 124 of 1277 patients (weighted proportion 0.15, 95% CI 0.03–0.27). No serious adverse events were reported. Results support the effectiveness and safety of FROD to treat mild-to-moderate exophthalmos in Graves’ orbitopathy. Prospective and controlled trials are needed to improve the level of evidence.

Endoscopic orbital fat decompression for the management of proptosis in Grave's orbitopathy using a laryngeal skimmer blade.

Intraoperative handling and manipulation of orbital fat remains a challenge to orbital surgeons. We present a case series of endoscopic orbital fat decompression with medial orbital wall decompression for proptosis management in Grave's orbitopathy, describing a technique for fat excision using a laryngeal skimmer blade, reporting clinical and surgical outcomes, and complications. All patients who underwent endoscopic orbital fat decompression, with medial orbital wall decompression, for proptosis management in Grave's orbitopathy between 2011 and 2018, under the care of a single surgeon, were included in this retrospective interventional case series. Nineteen patients were included in this study. Using a laryngeal skimmer blade, orbital fat was excised endoscopically at the time of medial orbital wall decompression. The mean volume of orbital fat excised was 1.45 ± 0.63 ml and the mean reduction in proptosis was 4.5 ± 1.02 mm. There were no intraoperative complications. In this study, we describe our experience of using a laryngeal skimmer blade as a method of excising orbital fat for orbital decompression in patients with proptosis secondary to Grave's orbitopathy.

Evolution of thyroid eye disease decompression-dysthyroid optic neuropathy.

Orbital decompression surgery and medical therapy for thyroid eye disease (TED) have evolved over the past 150 years and afforded the opportunity to restore pre-disease appearance and visual function. This manuscript explores the past 150 years of surgical innovation for the treatment of TED. The "Age of Surgical Heroism" spans the time from 1888 to 1979 during which the pioneers of orbital decompression developed lateral orbitotomy, transcranial decompression, paranasal sinus decompression, and transantral decompression despite an incomplete understanding of the pathophysiology of both TED and a limited ability to non-invasively assess their patients. The "Age of Surgical Refinement" dawned with the development of computed tomography and represents the years 1979-2000. During this time, the "swinging eyelid" approach for two- and three-wall decompressions was introduced, a combined orbital-extradural four wall decompression procedure was developed, fat decompression was explored, and endoscopic decompression techniques were advanced. At the beginning of the 21st century, our understanding of the orbital pathophysiology of TED evolved significantly. Clinicians recognized the age-related phenotype of TED based largely on the relative contribution of extraocular muscle enlargement vs. orbital fat expansion. The "Modern Age" of Customized Orbital Decompression features both "medical decompression" during the active phase of TED and, in the stable phase, customized surgical plans incorporating individual patients' anatomy, orbital pathology, and surgical goals that collectively maximize therapeutic benefit while minimizing therapeutic morbidity.

Orbital decompression for thyroid associated ophthalmopathy: transnasal endoscopic approach or external orbital approach?

External orbital decompression, including medial wall, inferior wall, lateral wall and orbital fat decompression alone or in combination, has long been considered to be the standard treatment for thyroid related eye diseases. Deep lateral wall orbital decompression has better effect in the balance of eye position, correction of serious exophthalmos and severe oppression optic neuropathy. Recently, however, endoscopic orbital decompression is becoming increasingly popular with the development of endoscopic surgery technique in naso-orbit related diseases. Endoscopic orbital decompression has the advantages of avoiding an external incision scar. Nevertheless, the new method also has some disadvantages, for example, application limited to medial and inferior orbital wall orbital decompression, high incidence of esotropia, need for external lateral wall decompression and expensive cost for equipment. Both surgical approaches have advantages and disadvantages respectively for medial wall and inferior wall decompression. The operative result depends on the individualized surgical design and the experience of the surgeon rather than the choice of the surgical approach. As a result, the choice of the surgical approaches should be specifically based on the patient's conditions, patient's acceptance of the operation, experience of the surgeon and available resources. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2018, 54: 484-487).

Damage to the inferior oblique muscle branch of the oculomotor nerve: a complication during orbital fat decompression.

To present patients who suffered damage to the inferior oblique muscle branch of the oculomotor nerve during orbital fat decompression. This study was a retrospective chart review of all patients who underwent orbital decompression surgery between April 2009 and June 2016 by the authors. Among 414 sides from 226 consecutive patients who underwent orbital decompression, the inferior oblique muscle branch was injured in two sides (0.5%) of two patients. Both patients showed hypotropia and incyclotropia immediately after surgery. Within 6months of injury, ocular deviation on primary gaze had mostly resolved after conservative treatment. None of the patients underwent strabismus surgery. Postoperative computed tomographic images demonstrated that the affected branch was indistinct 3-4mm posterior to the inferior oblique muscle. This report indicates that injury to the inferior oblique muscle nerve branch can occur at a point posterior to the inferior oblique muscle during orbital fat decompression; however, the resulting ocular deviation improves considerably within 6months of injury.

Endoscopic transethmoid orbital medial wall decompression for thyroid associated ophthalmopathy

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of endoscopic transethmoid and orbital medial wall decompression combined with orbital fat decompression for thyroid associated ophthalmopathy (TAO). Methods The data of 17 eyes of 11 patients with TAO were selected and retrospectively analyzed. They receieved endoscopic transethmoid and orbital medial wall decompression combined with orbital fat decompression. All patients were followed up periodically. Results Six months after surgery, the mean reduction in proptosis was (5.24±1.79)mm, the difference was statistically significant between before and after surgery (P<0.05). Postoperatively the difference of exophthalmos between the both eyes was within 2 mm. Corneal epithelial abnormalities decreesed from 14 eyes (82.35%) preoperative to 2 eyes (11.76%) postperative , the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). And postoperative mean height of palpebral fissure decreased(2.59±0.48)mm, the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05). There was no loss of visual acuity, orbital bleeding or other complication. Conclusion The endoscopic transethmoid orbital medial wall decompression combined with orbital fat decompression is an effective treatment for TAO. Key words: Ophthalmopathy, thyroid associated; Orbital decompression, transethmoid medical wall, endoscopic