A surgical technique to avoid postoperative enophthalmos in the cranioorbital approach. Technical note

The authors describe a surgical technique to avoid postoperative enophthalmos when using the cranioorbital approach. To perform osteotomies with a less demanding technique, two separate bone flaps were created: 1) a free frontotemporal bone flap and 2) en bloc removal of the superior and lateral orbital rims: Because the latter bone flap includes both the orbital roof and the posterolateral wall of the orbit with the greater wing of the sphenoid bone, unnecessary bone defects in the lateral orbital wall are avoided. The technique has been performed in seven patients treated for medially located skull base neoplasms or complex anterior circulation aneurysms without postoperative enophthalmos or other cosmetic problems. The authors believe this cranioorbital approach, with its simpler, less invasive surgical technique, offers a definite advantage by avoiding postoperative enophthalmos.