Objective: To present our experience in 80 patients with intraorbital tumours and lesions who underwent 87 osseous orbitotomies with coronal incision during a 12 year period.
Material, methods and results: Hemangioma was the most frequent histologic diagnosis, being the intraconical retrobulbar compartment the most common location. Bilateral presentation of lesions occurred in 7 patients. Lateral and supero-lateral orbitotomies were preferably applied (87.35%). In 90.80% of cases some kind of osteosynthesis was employed, 51.75% with bio-resorbable plates. Intraoperative exposure or dura mater breakage occurred in 10 patients. 45 transitory and 21 permanent postoperative complications were seen, being the nervous ones (diplopia and ptosis) the most frequent. Most of these were spontaneously solved in a short time period. 15 patients required multi-disciplinary collaboration with neurosurgery.
Conclusions: Coronal incision allows any bone orbitotomy, with security, guarantee and good aesthetic and functional results. Lateral and supero-lateral orbitotomies provide an ideal extradural approach to the retrobulbar compartment. An approach to the apex, orbital channel and medial compartment to the optic nerve, usually requires a combined neurosurgical approach through anterior cranial fossa. Orbitotomy fixation with bio-resorbable ostheosynthesis is an alternative to titanium plates. They can even be a first choice in paediatric age. The morbidity of this surgical technique is low.