[Endoscopic trans-ethmoid medial orbital wall decompression combined with intraconal fat decompression for Graves' ophthalmopathy].
OBJECTIVE
To present a new mini-invasive surgery for compressive optic neuropathy (CON) in Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) by adequately decompressing the orbital apex and correcting proptosis, and to analyze its results.


METHODS
A retrospective chart was reviewed in 29 patients receiving orbital decompression for the treatment of CON secondary to GO from October 2006 to May 2011. All patients diagnosed CON were in stable and inactive phase of GO at least for 6 months. All patients received endoscopic transethmoid medial orbital wall decompression to reduce the compression on the orbital apex. In the meanwhile, an endoscopic transethmoid intraconal fat-removal orbital decompression was performed to remove parts of intraconal fat with a special aspiration/cutting instrument to further reduce the proptosis. All patients were followed up periodically.


RESULTS
of improvement of visual acuity (VA), color vision, and amount of proptosis reduction and incidence of induced diplopia 9 months after surgery was recorded for analysis its feasibility.


RESULTS
Forty-five orbits of 29 patients were included in the study. At the 9 months review, 44 of 45 eyes (97.8%) improved their VA from -0.65±0.30 (x±s) preoperatively to -0.24±0.22, with a mean improvement of 0.55±0.17 (t=-13.012, P<0.001), 23 of 29 eyes (79.3%) had improved color vision (P<0.001), and the mean reduction in proptosis was (7.07±1.59) mm (range 4-11 mm). Postoperative symmetry to within 2 mm were achieved in all patients. Except 1 patient complaining of deterioration in diplopia following surgery, no patients presented new on-set diplopia postoperatively.


CONCLUSIONS
The endoscopic transethmoid medial orbital wall decompression combined with the endoscopic transethmoid intraconal fat-removal orbital decompression is an effective treatment with minimal morbidity for both visional recovery and improvement of proptosis for CON in GO.
The Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou 325027, China.
Wen-can
WC
Wu
Bo
B
Yu
Ming-ling
ML
Wang
Ling
L
Huang
Yun-hai
YH
Tu
Ben
B
Chen
Jia
J
Qu
Qin-mei
QM
Wang
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000379:methods*; D004724:Endoscopy; D005004:Ethmoid Bone / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D049970:Graves Ophthalmopathy / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009915:Orbit / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome