Is implant placement performed at the same surgical time as orbital exenteration a viable procedure?

To assess the efficacy and safety of bone-anchored dental implant placement at the same time as orbital exenteration compared with delayed implant placement.

A retrospective comparative study was conducted in a single tertiary care center between December 2003 and December 2017. Patients who underwent bone-anchored implant placement at the same time as orbital exenteration were included (group 1) and compared with patients who underwent delayed implant placement (group 2). The main outcome was the 1-year success rate of implant osseointegration. The secondary outcomes were the 5-year success rate of osseointegration, postoperative complications, and time between orbital exenteration and prosthesis placement.

Ten and 11 patients (21 and 22 implants) with a mean follow-up of 50.2 and 48.5 months were included in groups 1 and 2, respectively. Patients in group 1 were significantly older (69.7 vs 61.2 years, P = .026). No significant differences were found between both groups regarding tumor type and location, prior treatments, smoking status, and postoperative radiation beam radiotherapy. The 1- and 5-year success rates of osseointegration were 95.5% and 93.3% in group 1, and 100% and 100% in group 2, respectively (P = .488 and P = .450 between both groups). One implant did not osseointegrate in group 1 due to osteitis. Ethmoidal fistula was the most common postoperative complication found in both groups (P = .670). The mean time between orbital exenteration and episthesis placement was 8 (3 to 14) vs 11 (3 to 15) months in groups 1 and 2, respectively (P = .467).

Placing implants at the same time as orbital exenteration is a viable procedure. It reduces surgical morbidity and allows placement of implants in a nonirradiated area.