[Visual recovery following orbital and optic nerve decompressions]

The cause of visual impairment must always be clarified as soon as possible. During the last 6 years visual loss in 60 selected patients was caused by infectious processes, mucoceles, benign tumours, endocrine ophthalmopathies, head traumas etc. The comparison of preoperative and postoperative visual function in 48 cases treated by decompression of the orbit and in 12 cases treated by decompression of the optic nerve demonstrated visual improvement in 68 per/cent. Surgically we preferred the transethmoidal route and in some cases the lateral osteoplastic approach. In respect of the success of the surgical therapy, a correlation with the interval between the time of manifestation of visual loss and the time of surgery was found. Furthermore, the results depended on the basic diseases.