Orbital in juries in wartime: Historical study from Paul Tessier's work in Iran

Abstract

Introduction: Paul Tessier was a leading French oculoplastic surgeon who took part in several surgical missions in Iran to manage victims of the Iraq-Iran conflict in the late 1980's and early 1990's.

Methods: We collected the records of 322 patients who underwent surgical procedures for the management of wartime injuries by Paul Tessier's team in Iran from 1990 to 1993. We also report one of the most representative cases of orbital reconstruction performed by Tessier.

Results: Mean age at the time of trauma was 20.65±7.04 years (range: 2--62). Craniofacial CT-scans were available for 54 patients. The bones of the upper third of the face and the orbital contents were affected in 124/322 patients (38.50%). Soft-tissue lesions of the upper third included 13 frontal lacerations (4.04%), 60 orbital injuries (18.63%) and 95 uni- or bilateral enucleations (29.50%). Thirty-nine uni- or bilateral lid injuries (12.11%) and 8 tear duct injuries (2.48%) were reported. A specific case of orbital reconstruction using antero-internal and posterior iliac bone grafts was reported as a representative example of Tessier's techniques.

Conclusion: This study highlights the challenges of orbital reconstruction in wartime injuries and provides insights on the work of one of the most renowned surgeons in this field.

Keywords: Blessures de guerre; Chirurgie de guerre; Iraq-Iran; Orbital reconstruction; Reconstruction orbitaire; Wartime injuries; Wartime surgery.