Eye Socket Reconstruction
Eye socket reconstruction treats and repairs tumors, fractures, and trauma of the orbital socket. Acting quickly matters, because untreated eye socket problems can lead to additional medical issues.
Repairing and Protecting the Eye
The eye socket, also called the orbital socket, is the bony structure that protects your eye. It is made up of several bones, including the frontal bone, ethmoid bone, sphenoid bone, and the maxilla, along with ligaments and muscles that help hold the eye in place.
When a tumor, fracture, or traumatic injury affects this structure, reconstruction can restore both function and appearance. Our plastic surgeons can help you decide what approach is best for your situation.
Tumor Treatment
Surgical removal of eye socket tumors, with the approach matched to the tumor’s size, location, and type.
Fracture and Trauma Repair
Reconstruction can correct traumatic injuries to the bony structure that surrounds and protects your eye.
Function and Appearance
Surgery is designed to improve both how the eye works and how it looks.
Why Eye Socket Surgery Is Performed
Eye socket reconstruction may be performed for several reasons, and the right type of reconstruction depends on your diagnosis. For tumors, the plan is determined by the size, location, and type of the growth.
- Cosmetic improvement
- Improving the function of the eye
- Correcting a traumatic injury
- Addressing eye socket tumors
Surgical Approaches
Our surgeons tailor the procedure to the problem being treated. Two common approaches for eye socket tumors are local excision and orbital exenteration.
Local Excision
For small tumors, your surgeon removes the tumor along with a margin of healthy tissue around it, then closes the incision with sutures.
Orbital Exenteration
Larger tumors may require more extensive surgery. An orbital exenteration removes the eye, the eyelids, some of the muscles that move the eye, and all or part of the tumor.
Your surgeon then closes the incision with sutures or covers the wound with skin grafted from another area of the body.
Recovery Timeline
Recovery depends on the procedure performed. Local excisions usually have a shorter recovery than orbital exenterations.
Most local excision patients are able to go home the same day as surgery.
Orbital exenteration patients usually stay in the hospital for several days.
Swelling and bruising around the eye are common at first and settle over time.
Follow your surgeon’s instructions for eye and incision care closely to help avoid infection and support healing.