title: Self-irrigating piezoelectric device in orbital surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Orbital osteotomy risks injury to the eyeball and orbit soft tissues. Used extensively in oral and maxillofacial surgery, piezoelectric technology offers a greater margin of safety than traditional bone cutting instruments. The authors describe the novel use of this system in a variety of orbital surgeries.
  
  
  METHODS
  This interventional case series was performed in accordance with institutional review board regulations. The medical records of all patients who had undergone orbital surgery using the piezoelectric blade at 3 institutions were reviewed. Indication for surgery, gender, age, duration of follow up, intraoperative complications, surgical result, and postoperative course was recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixteen patients underwent surgery on 18 orbits using the piezoelectric system between August 2011 and June 2012. Surgeries performed included orbital decompression (8), lateral orbitotomy (5), cranio-orbitotomy (4), and external dacryocystorhinostomy (1). Eight were female and 8 were male patients. Mean age was 55 years old (standard deviation 15 years). Mean follow up was 82 days. The osteotomy created by the blade was narrow and smooth in every case. The surgeons uniformly appreciated the precision and safety of the instrument compared with traditional electric saw blades. There were no soft tissue lacerations or intraoperative complications and reconstructions were uniformly uneventful. Postoperative healing was rapid with no unexpected inflammation, and no palpable bony defects were appreciated in the reconstructed cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because it does not cut soft tissue and cuts a narrow trough, the self-irrigating piezoelectric saw blade appears safer and more precise than traditional electric saw blades in and around the orbit.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: Dawn K
authors: DK
authors: De Castro
authors: Aaron
authors: A
authors: Fay
authors: Edward J
authors: EJ
authors: Wladis
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Nguyen
authors: Tammy
authors: T
authors: Osaki
authors: Ralph
authors: R
authors: Metson
authors: William
authors: W
authors: Curry
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009915:Orbit / Q000601:surgery*; D010027:Osteotomy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D059745:Piezosurgery / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome