[Orbital decompression in Graves' orbitopathy-Experiences and results]

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Endocrinology
• Surgical Neurology

Background:

• Graves' orbitopathy affects 25-50% of Graves' disease patients, causing orbital soft tissue inflammation and swelling.
• Surgical orbital decompression is reserved for severe cases with disfiguring exophthalmos or vision threats unresponsive to steroids.
• Avoiding postoperative diplopia is crucial for maintaining quality of care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the outcomes of 100 orbital decompression surgeries in 62 patients.
• To assess the efficacy of pterional decompression and deep lateral wall resection for apical crowding.
• To analyze complication rates and visual recovery post-surgery.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 100 orbital decompression cases.
• Surgical techniques included pterional decompression and deep lateral wall resection.
• Patient data on exophthalmos, visual acuity, and diplopia were reviewed.

Main Results:

• Mean exophthalmos reduction of 2.9 mm.
• Mean visual acuity improvement of 2.2 lines in sight-threatening cases.
• 4% complication rate; new diplopia in 2 cases; 9 cases saw regression of pre-existing double vision.

Conclusions:

• Orbital decompression yields results comparable to existing literature for Graves' orbitopathy.
• The procedure is effective in treating sight-threatening and disfiguring endocrine orbitopathy.
• Surgical decompression plays a vital role in managing severe orbital manifestations of Graves' disease.