Outpatient Surgical Management of Orbital Blowout Fractures

There is ample investigation into the optimal timing and approach to orbital blowout fracture (OBF) repair; however, less attention has been directed toward postoperative care. This is a multicenter IRB-approved retrospective review of patients with OBF presenting to our study sites between November 2008 and August 2016. Those with isolated OBF, over 18 years of age, and who had not suffered additional facial injuries or globe trauma were included. A total of 126 surgical cases of isolated OBF repair were identified that met our inclusion and exclusion criteria; 42.1% were outpatient repairs while the remaining 57.9% were admitted for overnight monitoring. Time elapsed prior to repair differed between the two groups at a mean of 8.4 days versus 5.2 days for the outpatient and inpatient cohorts, respectively ( p  = 0.001). A majority of inpatient cases underwent immediate repair, while a majority of outpatient cases were delayed. There were two cases of RBH in the outpatient cohort resulting in an overall incidence of 1.6%. In both instances, a significant change in clinical exam including decreased visual acuity, diplopia, and eye pain prompted repeat evaluation and immediate intervention for hematoma evacuation. Estimated hospital charges to the patient's insurance for key components of an inpatient versus outpatient isolated OBF repair amounted to a total cost of $9,598.22 for inpatient management and $7,265.02 for outpatient management without reflexive postoperative imaging. Reflexive postoperative CT scans were obtained in 76.7% of inpatient cases and only two led to a reoperation. No outpatient repairs included reflexive postoperative imaging. Outpatient OBF repair is an attractive alternative to inpatient management. The potential cost savings of outpatient management of OBF, which do not detract from quality or safety of patient care, should not be ignored. Our results will hopefully contribute to updated shared practice patterns for all subspecialties that participate in the surgical management of OBF.