title: A retrospective study of treatment of orbital floor fractures with the maxillary sinus approach.
abstract: The Cook County Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, protocol for the management of orbital fractures is presented. Diplopia which fails to resolve in 1 week or appears after oedema subsides, enophthalmos or radiographic depression of the orbital floor, associated tripod fracture deformity, or purulent maxillary sinusitis are indications for surgery. The surgical procedure is a modification of the maxillary sinus approach, which includes the use of iodoform gauze packing, nasal antrostomy, a double layer oral closure and prophylactic antibiotics. A review of 102 patients treated surgically over a 6-year period is presented. Post-operative diplopia was 9% and there were minor complications in 3%, which were significantly lower than previously reported series of orbital fractures treated either non-operatively, or through an orbital exploration approach. No patient treated non-operatively required surgery in the future. The protocol presented can eliminate unnecessary exploration and yields excellent results with a simple surgical procedure.
mesh_terms: D004172:Diplopia / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008443:Maxillary Sinus / Q000601:surgery*; D008722:Methods; D009917:Orbital Fractures / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000209:etiology; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*