Complications and Outcomes of Orbital Fracture Repair in Oman

This study aimed to investigate and analyse the complications and outcomes of orbital fracture repair in Oman.

This multicentre retrospective study included all patients with orbital floor and/or medial wall fractures who underwent orbital reconstruction at four tertiary hospitals in Oman between January 2014 and December 2021. The data collected included demographics, fracture aetiology, surgical approach, reconstruction material, complications and repair outcomes.

A total of 41 patients were included in this study. Motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) were the most common cause of orbital fractures, accounting for (53.7%) of the patients. Isolated orbital fractures were encountered in 25 patients, 12 patients had orbital fractures associated with the zygomaticomaxillary complex and 4 had fractures associated with naso-orbital ethmoidal fractures. The transconjunctival approach was the most common surgical method (36.6%), followed by the infraorbital approach (24.4%). Titanium mesh was the primary implant material used in (63.4%) of the cases. The most common complications at 2-weeks to 3-months postoperatively were enophthalmos (17.1%) and residual diplopia (13%). Beyond 3 months postoperatively, complications occurred in 10 patients, resulting in an overall complication rate of (24.4%). Analysis of 24 postoperative computed tomography scans revealed that the ideal implant positioning in the anterior, middle and posterior zones was achieved in (87.5%), (45.8%) and (12.5%) of the cases, respectively.

The study findings showed that MVCs were the primary cause of orbital fractures in Oman. The complication rate of orbital reconstruction was low and comparable to that reported in the published literature.