Post-traumatic reconstruction of the enucleated contracted eye socket: a comparative study.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Plastic Surgery
• Reconstructive Surgery

Background:

• Contracted eye sockets cause significant cosmetic issues and functional problems, including difficulty maintaining eye prostheses and chronic irritation.
• Traumatic orbital injuries are a common cause of contracted eye sockets.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of full-thickness and thick split-thickness skin grafts in reconstructing contracted eye sockets.
• To achieve satisfactory cosmetic outcomes and functional restoration for patients with contracted eye sockets.

Main Methods:

• A surgical technique involving bilateral fish tail incisions and transverse incisions to create unipedicle hinge flaps for upper and lower fornices.
• Fixation of full-thickness or thick split-thickness skin grafts to the prepared area using stitches and splints, including non-adherent tulle and eye prosthesis.

Main Results:

• Twenty-six patients underwent the procedure between February 2004 and March 2005.
• Satisfactory results were achieved in 22 patients, with adequate eye socket size restoration.
• Four patients experienced unsatisfactory results due to partial loss of the full-thickness skin graft.

Conclusions:

• Thick split-thickness skin grafts are more effective than full-thickness skin grafts for contracted eye socket reconstruction.
• The described surgical method provides a viable option for addressing cosmetic and functional deficits in contracted eye sockets.