ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Various materials are used in orbital blowout fracture repair. We describe a series of patients with orbital blowout fractures that were repaired using porous polyethylene (Medpor) sheets. METHODS: A non-comparative interventional case series is described of 30 blowout fractures of 30 patients aged 7-60 years (median 29 years) who underwent orbital blowout fracture repair with Medpor sheets. The mean follow-up was 19.1 months (minimum 5 months). The indication for surgery in 6 cases was non-resolving diplopia. The remaining 24 cases had surgery for enophthalmos. Ten cases underwent primary or secondary hydroxyapatite orbital implantation at the same time as orbital floor blowout fracture repair. Data were collected on postoperative motility and diplopia, enophthalmos, cosmesis, complications and re-operations. RESULTS: In no case was diplopia worsened by blowout fracture repair. Where surgery was performed for the correction of enophthalmos, late surgery did not compromise the surgical results. There were no intraoperative complications. The one major complication was a case of recurrent implant infections leading to implant removal. There were 3 minor postoperative complications: 2 cases of postoperative infraorbital anaesthesia and one case of a palpable titanium screw. Re-operations were performed for pre-existent diplopia, lid laxity, socket abnormalities and mid-facial deformities. None of these arose from the blowout fracture repair. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that in orbital blowout fracture repair Medpor implants are safe and effective with few complications. Late surgery for enophthalmos is technically more difficult but is not associated with poorer functional or cosmetic results.
Subject(s)
Fracture Fixation/methods , Orbital Fractures/surgery , Orbital Implants , Polyethylene/therapeutic use , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Durapatite/therapeutic use , Enophthalmos/etiology , Enophthalmos/surgery , Eye Enucleation/adverse effects , Eye Enucleation/methods , Female , Fracture Fixation/adverse effects , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Orbital Fractures/complications , Retrospective Studies , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
AIM: To describe a series of patients who have undergone a medial canthal reconstruction with a rhomboid flap. METHODS: A non-comparative interventional case series of 27 patients with medial canthal defects after Mohs excision of medial canthal basal cell carcinomas who underwent reconstruction using a rhomboid-shaped transpositional flap of adjoining skin and subcutaneous tissue. 25 cases were performed under local anaesthesia. The remaining two cases were combined with major lid reconstruction and performed under general anaesthesia. The outcome measures were closure of the defect, the cosmetic result, complications, and re-operations. RESULTS: Primary closure of the defect was achieved in all cases. The cosmetic result was highly satisfactory in all cases. There were no major complications or re-operations. Two cases had minor webbing of the medial upper lid. CONCLUSIONS: The rhomboid flap is an effective, quick, and simple technique for medial canthal reconstruction. It provides excellent cosmesis and is associated with minimal complications. It can be modified according to the nature of the periorbital skin and the location, size, and depth of the defect.
